Beyond the bridge was exactly the oasis I envisioned. Passing through the gates at Thomas George, I was greeted by the Frederick Hart masterpiece, "The Source", an impeccable symbol of the life-giving waters which flowed throughout the Estate. I tied my buggy to its post and made my way inside the Estate hall. Graciously awaiting were Sean and Adrienne, my most excellent hosts for my brief respite in my journey through the wastelands of food and drink. Wasting no time, they unleash the hounds, though instead of guard dogs hellbent on my destruction, it was a team of the most adorable pet pooches one can imagine. Turns out in addition to their own little guy, they were dog sitting for owner, Jeremy Baker, who was in LA for a trade show. Knee deep in dogs and hospitality, they really hit the spot by breaking into some wines.
We start things off with a Brut rose sourced from pinot grapes from their Starr Ridge vineyard. Sparkling rose is a pretty much the way to my heart, and as such this delicious 90 point offering is the ultimate medicine. We move n to the single vineyard chardonnays, which each express unique terroirs without relinquishing anything to taste. These are the Burgundian styled chardonnays that make their Chateau 2x4 counterparts a bitter lesson in what not to do with the most noble of white grapes. Elegance, individuality and taste drive these wines like Schumacker would steer an F1 racer. The same pedigree plays out from the pinot noirs, with the coolest, Cresta Vineyard, scoring amongst the best California wines I've ever tasted. Perhaps the coolest wine of the tasting was the Sauvignon Blanc Musque, a clone (sadly soon to be decommissioned in California) not unlike chardonnay musque with which Niagara vintners have enjoyed many recent hits.
The Baker Family may have scored the biggest hit yet when they purchased this property, which stood as the last wine making home to the elderly Sonoma legend, Davis Bynum (the first man to craft a single vineyard pinot in the Russian River Valley). Having fallen into disrepair they devoted considerable resources into making one of the most state of art facilities in Sonoma County, all the while keeping a keen eye for cultivating the most majestic sense of atmosphere on display in viticulture.
Amongst the greatest achievements on the property is The Cave, built into the side of one of the properties sizable ridges. It was here Sean and Adrienne took me on the most enlightening aspect of the Thomas George experience. A comprehensive barrel tasting is the quintessential means to really grasp the process from vineyard to glass. Tasting the various barrels, maturing in oak until their trip to the bottle, you not only discover the differences in each vineyard, but even in the individual parcels within. We hit one barrel from a plot on the Baker ridge that was close to a small brush fire, and doubt you could fully taste and smell a smoky character in that batch. The wine maker's pallet is on full display for those fortunate enough to see this side of a winery.
Armed with some of the tastiest burritos I have had the pleasure of stuffing my face from nearby Mexican joint, La Rosa I descend to my on site cabin, The Grenach House. Rustic life never seemed so luxurious. The wear ands tear of the wanderer were cured in an instant. We had shared a laugh over a recent article in Food And Wine magazine celebrating Thomas George's astounding guest quarters, in that there was an implied breakfast cooked by Jeremy himself. "That's never happened" I was assured. Nonetheless, this was zen. This was hardcore zen.
Morning came with the calls of the Estate rooster and was promptly chased down with some french press with Sean, preparing for his day in the fields. We drove up to the adjacent Baker Ridge Vineyard, as clearly my hosts once again had sites on blowing my mind.
We came to the crest of the Baker Ridge vineyard to the site of a guest pavilion under construction. Designed with an eye for weddings or other similar gatherings I was presented a view of the entire Russian river Valley rising back toward the Mayacamus Mountains. In an instant the cavalier eternal decided he needed to abandon his life of bachelorhood debauchery to the end of finding himself a lady to get married on this very spot. Floored. In all the right ways. There was something so alluring here. From the views, to the wines, to the people who made it all happen. I could die on this very spot. Everything would be ok.
After an afternoons expedition into the vineyards of Sonoma's greatest gems, I returned to my new home. I walked the grounds. I shared more bottles with my hosts. We came across a bottle of skunky, sulphur-laden chardonnay from a nearby winery. It was here Sean introduced us to the coolest of coin tricks. Turns out the soon to be extinct copper penny, is the secret weapon in the battle against sulphur tainted wine. Swirl away a penny in the glass....and like magic...its back to what it should have been. I wouldn't have believed it had I not tasted it myself.
During my last nights stay, Jeremy had returned from the trade show in LA. Having driven a trailer of barrels from LA all the way to Sonoma after a night that included enjoying the sunrise from the home of Dr. Dre, the man of the estate was understandably drained. Yet this did nothing to curb his enthusiasm for the evenings winemakers party being thrown in his Cave at the estate. He lead his team with the charm of Rasputin, pouring out his best wines for the regions most prolific wine folk. I got to spend some time talking shop with the passionate pioneer, Ulyses Valdez, whose syrah vineyards were sourced for my favourite Thomas George Syrah of yesteryear. While Napa is all Disneyfied with its bells and whistles, Sonoma remains at its heart, farm country. Its legends are the everyman. Icons and grunts in the same stroke. While the juice in the flesh, and the soil the bone, in Sonoma its the people who are the blood.
I would enter Thomas George Estates as the eternal cowboy. I would leave the enchanted, the poet and the lover.
No comments:
Post a Comment