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Default Sunday tastings in the Sierra (very long)

For those who have not done so, a wine tasting tour of the Amador
County / Shenandoah Valley AVA is recommended. Unlike Napa, this area
is still very rural, the wineries (for the most part) small and
friendly, and without tasting fees.

There are a great number of wineries in this relatively small region Ð
far more than my palate or my driving ability could allow me to cover.
We prefer to target just a few, taking our time at each, and tasting
rather than drinking.

This weekend we chose to visit:
¥ Montevina Ð we had not visited them before, although we have enjoyed
some bottles of their SHR Field Blend Zinfandel.
¥ Karly Ð IÕve had a few recommendations on Karly before, but had never
tried their wines.
¥ Cooper Vineyards Ð a winery we ÔdiscoveredÕ down there a couple years
ago and were impressed with their wines. We wanted to check in again
and see if the wines held up to our recollection.
¥ David Girard Ð a relatively new winery, in El Dorado County, between
Placerville and Coloma. I recently had the pleasure of trying their
Rive DÕOr, and wanted to try their other wines.

Montevina
First impression, as you drive up, is that they are big. I confess to
some bias against the large wineries with large, commercial tasting
rooms that sell an awful lot of stuff other then wine. But IÕve been
disproved on this bias before, so was more than willing to wander on in.
Between us, we sampled 7 wines, I only tried 5 Ð but there are at least
20 available for tasting Ð probably more than that. We tried their
Sauvignon Blanc and aÔSierra SunriseÕ (a rose blended from Zin,
Nebbiolo, and Syrah). We also sampled (between us) a Barbera, a
Teroldego, a Syrah, an old vine Zin, and Sangiovese / Cab blend named
ÔForteÕ.
To be frank, none of the wines were anything I would recommend. At
best, some were palatable, but insipid. The Barbera, the Teroldego
(plus points to Montevina for making an obscure varietal) and the
Deaver Old Vine Zin were all palatable, but unremarkable.

Karly
We had not tried their wines before, but I had read on forums like this
some recommends, and had at least one wine drinking friend speak well
of their Zin, so we sought them out. This winery represents much of
what I enjoy about Amador County wine tasting. Hidden away down a long
gravel road, the tasting room is simply a kitchen given over to
tasting. The staff are warm and friendly, and the owner / vineyardist /
winemaker was a charm Ð giving us at least 15 minutes of his time to
chat not only about his wines and vineyards, but just to chat about
wines and winemaking in general.
First observation on the Karly wines is their price point Ð higher than
norm for the region, and higher than we felt is justified for the
wines. We enjoyed some of the wines very much Ð but the prices range
from 20 to 35 per 750 bottle Ð simply too high.
¥ Their Õ06 Marsanne was disappointing. WeÕre a bit biased, as growers
and winemakers of Marsanne ourselves, but felt the wine lacked the
varietal fruit characters on the nose, and lacked the full mouthfeel we
expected. $22.
¥ Of the 3 Zins they were tasting, we enjoyed all, but strongly
preferred the mid-priced selection Ð the Õ05 ÔWarrior FiresÕ ($26). The
only Zin we tasted on this trip that had the aggressive Zin character
both on the nose and in the palate that expect of good Amador Zins.
Spicy, and with a long finish, we would recommend this wine to anyone Ð
except that it is simply too high priced.
¥ We also sampled an Õ06 ÔEl AlacranÕ Mourvedre Ð and Mrs. Beagles was
pleased enough to buy a couple bottles. With that tell-tale ÔdirtyÕ
nose of Mourvedre, the wine is dark and rich, with good fruit and
spice. I would say it was the second best Mourvedre of the day, but
very good nonetheless. Again, too high priced at $35.

Cooper Vineyards
A few years ago, during their first year of having a tasting room, we
came across this winery and left very impressed. This was our first
return visit, hoping to find again some wines that we enjoyed. We were
certainly not disappointed.
The winery is obviously well ÔdiscoveredÕ now. This was the only winery
we visited that was truly crowded. They were offering 7 wines for
tasting, of which we tried 5 Ð and were able to get them to pour for us
one more that was not on the tasting list.
¥ Õ07 Viognier Ð excellent varietal character on the nose Ð peaches,
citrus, and honeysuckle, the wine doesnÕt disappoint on the palate.
Good mouthfeel, and a warm finish. A chat with the winemakerÕs daughter
confirmed that the wine had seen about 9 months of used oak. 90+ points
for $20.
¥ Õ07 Rousanne Ð pear and floral notes on the nose, a rich, full
mouthfeel, somewhat short finish. I would give it about 88 (to
differentiate it from the Viognier) but Mrs. Beagles would give it a
90+. $20
¥ Õ05 Zinfandel - the only wine we found somewhat disappointing.
Lacking that aggressive Zin nose, it was somewhat light on the palate
too. $23
¥ Õ05 Primitivo Ð A rose by any other name É this wine evinces the
qualities of an Amador Zin that we prefer. Rich, spicy, aggressive, but
also has a nice balance of the warm vanilla tones from the oak. Another
90 point recommendation. $23.
¥ Õ06 Mourvedre Ð This is the wine that was not on the tasting room
list, but we had so enjoyed their Õ04 that we begged for a taste Ð and
were rewarded with such. Deep and dark, the wine gives up a nose
evocative of the best southern rhone. Earthy, with dark fruits. On the
palate rich and long lasting. Firm tannins and surprisingly well
balanced acididty give me some hope that this will last well in the
cellar. 90+ recommendation. $25.
We left the winery with a mixed case of the Rousanne, Viognier,
Primitivo, and Mourvedre. As well as 3 bottles (375) of their excellent
Orange Muscat dessert wine. That case discounts the wine 10%. If you
join their club, they offer an additional 15%. Which we did Ð meaning
that all prices were 25% less at the cash register.

David Girard Vineyards
Some weeks back, I posted a review on the David Girard ÒRive DÕOrÓ, a
Bordeaux style blend from this relative newcomer in El Dorado County.
We enjoyed the wine, and sought them out on the drive home.
We again enjoyed the Rive DÕOr, and at $18 purchased a few more for the
cellar. This is a very refined blend of 44% Cab Franc, 32% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 6% Malbec. Cassis and vanilla on the nose,
full mouthfeel with a medium long finish, the wine has excellent tannin
and acid, and weÕve enjoyed it with beef on two prior occasions. At
$18, a good value.
We tried 4 other wines the
¥ A blend of 5 Rhone white varietals (Rousanne, Grenache blanc, Rolle,
Marsanne, and Viognier. Nice nose, but a weak palate, and a bitter
aftertaste. Not recommended
¥ A Viognier / Roussanne blend that had no nose (certainly nothing that
one would expect of a Viognier), and a very soft palate. Not
recommended.
¥ An Õ04 Syrah that had a deep color, spicy nose with noticeable oak
and hints of cassis; full, rich mouthfeel and a good finish. Not
overwhelming, but very nice.
¥ And an Õ04 blend of 4 Rhone red varietals Ð Mourvedre, Syrah,
Grenache, and Counoise. Earthy and oak on the nose, with just a touch
of the Grenache garrigue. Firm tannins, rich mouthfeel, good finish.
Not a ChNeuf Ð but a very nice California impersonation thereof.

All in all, an enjoyable and entertaining Sunday drive on this first
warm, sunny weekend of the new year. We came away from Montevina
disappointed, and unlikely to return. We enjoyed Karly, and recommend
it as a tasting stop for anyone on this wine trail. CooperÕs once again
regins as our favorite winery in the Amador County AVA. All of their
wines are good Ð and some are excellent. The winery is amll, and family
run, and a pleasure to visit. We came away somewhat disappointed at
David Girard. The reds are good to very good, but the whites were
simply not very good wines.



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