Patty's Birthday Trip, Part II

Day Two was a much better day. We started at Acacia Vineyards, a first-time visit for all of us. You need an appointment as this winery has a very small tasting room and a maximum of two people pouring. The staff are very knowledgeable, friendly, and more than willing to share their expertise and wines with you.

Acacia Vineyards

Viognier 2008

I love this wine! To this day, it remains one of my favorite white wines. The nose has an enticing citrus scent, and the wine has notes of peach, apple, and asian pear, along with lemon blossom and violet. Mid-palate brings in grapefruit and mandarin tartness. The finish is smooth and well-rounded with lingering peach and lemon notes. This is a well-constructed lighter wine that is perfect with crab, seafood, and lighter pasta dishes. It’s perfect for summer sipping, too. I gave it a 9 out of 10, and joined the wine club instantly!

Marsh Chardonnay 2007

This is a full-bodied Chard, on the acidic side, with a toasted oak note and good citrus flavors. It is nicely layered, starting gently with the citrus, progressing with the oak notes, and finishing with a creamy vanilla flavor. I gave this a 10 out of 10, because I like bigger Chards.

Pinot Noir Lone Tree Vineyard 2006

The highlights of this elegant pinot are a lovely tart cherry note, layers of raspberry, briar, and cinnamon, and a smooth, velvety finish with good acidity. 8 out of 10.

Pinot Noir DeSoto Vineyard 2006

This pinot was more tannic, with a deeper, richer cherry flavor, and a nice, almost meaty mouth feel. The finish was lush and rich. 7 out of 10 (I like more fruit and floral in my pinots.)

Pinot Noir Horseshoe Bend Vineyard 2006

This had a rather smoky nose and even smokier flavor, almost like peppered bacon. It  made me wonder if 2006 was the year we had those wildfires that caused a blanket of smoke to form over the valley…and if these grapes got infused with that. I can’t say it was “bad”, it just was not what I was expecting. So, I gave it a 6 out of 10.

Pinot Noir Rosé 2008

My first pinot noir rosé was interesting…soft nose with just a hint of cherry. Then flavors of tart cherry, eucalyptus, and violets. The wine had a nice acidity that balanced the soft notes, and the finish was light and delicate. Although the winemaker probably was going for soft and fruity, it was just a bit too much of both for me. 5 out of 10.

Then we were on to Domaine Chandon. Part of the famous French Moet et Chandon family, this winery has lovely grounds and a beautiful building meant to complement the surrounding hills rather than dominate them. This is a large place, with the wonderful Étoile restaurant on site, a gift shop, tours, and so forth. It can get very crowded, and they do not take tasting appointments, just tour appointments. If Étoile prices scare you, they serve similar food at the tasting bar, and it is all delicious.

Domaine Chandon

We tasted non-vintage sparkling wines, all made via methode champaignoise.

Étoile Brut

Lovely, light champagne with notes of almond, honey, meringue, and a hint of dry hay. This dances on the tongue and leaves a lovely lingering toasted almond flavor. One of my favorite champagnes, a 7 out of 10.

Brut Classic

This is a semi-dry champagne with a more fruity note, of lemon and mandarin, with hints of almond. This is a little too light for my taste, with a very light finish. 5 out of 10.

Étoile Rosé

With notes of lemon and mandarin, nutmeg and hints of truffle (the root not the chocolate) and eucalyptus, this is an interesting sparkling wine. It was a bit too sweet for me, so I gave it 4 out of 10.

Reserve Pinot Noir Brut

This was quite interesting, much more bubbly than a typical brut, with a nutty flavor and black cherry notes. It also had a disconcerting cough-syrup aftertaste, so I had to give it 3 out of 10.

I ended up joining Domaine Chandon’s wine club on this visit, and now my husband and I are regular visitors. We usually sit in the tasting bar or out on the patio, enjoying the spectacular views and wonderful food. We recently went to Étoile and had a superb meal…too bad I’m not writing a restaurant blog! I will do a review of their pinot meunier, which is a really interesting grape and wine.