Sonoma County, which stretches from the Mayacamas Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, always has seemed to me to be as close to Eden as any place I’ve visited. Besides the scenery, surf and sun, the county is an amazing agricultural site. I’ve always said that if you stuck a fishing pole into the Sonoma earth, it was bound to grow – producing crops of fishing poles, or fish, or maybe both,
Putting fantasy aside for a moment, the 2006 Sonoma grape crop was difficult, but eventually of good quality, especially among red grapes like zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, according to winemakers and vineyard managers who met and produced the Sonoma County Vintage report. The group included hands-on vintners and others from 11 of the county’s 13 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), and material here came from the final report of the group.
Following a long winter and heavy spring rains that were conducive to heavy vegetation, much thinning of fruit was needed to reduce crop load. Veteran winemaker Kerry Damskey (Charles Creek and Dutcher Crossing) noted that "This was a vintage marked by the fact that there was always fruit between the rows. Most years I make three passes through the vineyard [to thin the crop]; this year I needed five." July brought a major heat wave (for Sonoma), with several days of temperatures in the triple digits. Some of the vines shut down during the excessive heat, causing a later-than-usual harvest.
As Greg LaFollette (DeLoach Vineyards and Tandem Winery) pointed out, some century-old zinfandel vines dropped their entire crop in order "to live and fight another day."
A cool late summer and early fall, with rain in October, delayed harvest even more, and the rain exacerbated botrytis problems, especially among chardonnay, with a loss of 12-15% of the crop. Pinot noir from Carneros and the Sonoma Coast was affected, but not nearly as much, and some growers even saw botrytis on cabernet sauvignon grapes for the first time in memory.
Grapes that survived the stress came to the wineries in outstanding quality, and the harvest was about 190,000 tons, far below last year, when a harvest of 231,000 tons was a record for the county, but still the second-largest in history. The grapes were picked with less sugar and higher acidity than average, a good sign for structure and long life.
Briefly, the ‘06 Sonoma grapes look like this:
Cabernet Sauvignon: Late harvest and long hang time gave most of the Sonoma cab grapes strongly defined structure, which will lengthen maturity time and drinkable. By contrast, grapes from the Alexander Valley are fruit-driven and accessible.
Merlot: Probably the Sonoma grape with the most future, and some great wines ahead, filled with plum and black cherry flavors.
Zinfandel: Strong prospects from the Dry Creek Valley, with the long growing season adding to well-balanced maturity.
Syrah: Similar prospects to zinfandel, with grapes perfectly ripe. Damskey noted, "just a wonderful year."
Pinot Noir: Excellent yield with berries smaller but more concentrated in flavor, lower yields on the coast but indications are that the wine will age very well.
Sauvignon Blanc: Look to a spectacular year, both in the warmer areas like Dry Creek Valley and the cooler ones like the Russian River Valley. Good yield, nicely acidic fruit with complex flavors.
Chardonnay: Major problems with bunch rot and botrytis, plus slow ripening, combined to reduce the Carneros crop up to 20%; winemakers will earn their pay.
And while we’re not into drinking the 2006 vintage yet, I’ve sampled a half-dozen Sonoma reds from 2003 and 2004, two each of pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and zin. All were good, a couple were spectacular. Prices are approximate retail.
Martin Ray, ‘03 Sonoma Mountain Cab ($55) – Wonderful. This is a big, full-bodied wine with black cherry and plum overtones, cedar in the aroma and a long, well-balanced finish. There’s a sumptous feel in the mouth and, while expensive, I think it’s worthy for a splurge, like New Year’s Eve or another major holiday.
Sebastiani ‘03 Sonoma County cab ($17) – A little thinner and lighter than the cab above, but a wine with good flavor and lots of fruit in the first taste. Well-made, with a good finish.
Dry Creek ‘03 Sonoma County Heritage zinfandel ($18) – Excellent table companion to a hearty pasta with a spicy sauce, this zin shows the spice and suppleness that good zins will provide. Nice finish, with excellent structure, will reach its peak in another two or three years.
Angelina’04 Dry Creek Valley zin ($14) – A second label from Martin Ray and an excellent value with dark fruit in the flavor and a solid backbone for a well-balanced finish.
MacMurray Ranch ‘04 Russian River Valley pinot noir ($35) – One of the high end Gallo wines, from grapes grown on property that once belonged to the actor, the result is a well-crafted pinor noir with the high style that makes the red wines of Burgundy so valuable. There’s a touch of burnt toast in the aroma, and a rich cherry favor that is a fine comrade at dinner and will age well for another decade. A winner.
Rodney Strong ‘04 Russian River Valley pinot noir ($19) – Tasty, with a lot of fruit up front and a lengthy, well-rounded finish, this comes from a venerable Sonoma Valley vineyard that has shown high standards for many years. Excellent wine.
-Joe