Updated 8/23: A warm growing season got turned on it's head when a tropical storm far away in the Pacific dumped 6-7 inches of rain on the Valley just as fruit was getting ripe. After an intense 3 days of rain, the weather was clear and cold. Most fruit had 8-17 days to dry out before being picked, and while the wines show the impact of the rain, they are beautiful and among my favorites to drink (not unlike 2007).
Note: these wines should to be stood upright for a few days prior to pulling the cork in order to allow fine sediment to settle out.
The Whistling Ridge is red earth and cinnamon over pomegranates, ripe cherries, strawberry fruit leather and dry spices. Elegant, fruity, yet light bodied in a dry and savory way with excellent weight and purity in the red fruits, fine developed tannins, this has the feel of a mature wine just entering the plateau of an open drinking window. No signs of diminishing quality at all, drink now-2027. This wine continues to gain weight and fills in beautifully with a decanter or a few hours open.
The Bishop Creek aromatics have opened up, coniferous forest notes layer over black fruits, stem subois has softened into a dark forest floor tone, with hints of sweet spice balancing the savory. There is a watery timeless nature to these wines, not dilute in any way, but devoid of either youthful or aged tones and lacking the plush extraction so common in many current new world wines. If you like Piemontese wines, this is a wine you should sample. While still retaining amaro notes and fine astringent tannins, there is no denying the compelling aromatics, and the layering coming on in the palate. Drink or Hold.
The Durant Pinot Noir is in a perfectly lovely window right now. Delicately expressive, like finding lace from a bygone generation. In todays world of ripe, textural fruit, this is a quiet conversation about what we have to learn from what came before. Age is beauty.
The Fool's Journey Syrah/Viognier (still bottled under the Matello label) is a completely unique wine and quite compelling. This wine is drinking beautifully now. It opens with plenty of classic black pepper and floral tones over beautiful red/blue fruits. It fills in gaining texture, but remaining light bodied and refreshing. Acids are perfectly balanced. With time the red fruit deepens and a parade of spice notes, herbs, and soil/subois tones accompanies it. Just a dynamite experience.
Whites are stony and mineral in nature, but I recommend drinking them over the next 3-5 years. The Richard’s Cuvee has knit itself into something quite spectacular. Struck match, very stony and old world. The Durant is similar but not as intense. The Whistling Ridge Blanc is delicious and into a lovely plateau, drink one the next 5-6 years.
*Under natural cork there is always a distinct amount of bottle variation. As the wines age, this variation becomes more distinct. Regarding the notes here, all wines have been tasted recently, but for all bottles YMMV. However, you will find Diam cork as our closure of choice beginning with the 2013 vintage red wines. Guaranteed TCA free and with a more consistent density, Diam is a huge improvement over traditional cork and I am really happy to be using it now.*