I know you may think I thrive off panning wines or wineries, but really I don't. Who wants to drink crap when you can have deliciousness? Not I.
So to continue the Wine Country Chronicles (which have only a few entries left, sadly, since I'm reliving that great experience through the blog), I bring up a rather thorny subject of a winery whose wines I just didn't dig. 
At the recommendation of a few friends and blog readers, MC Ice and I took our sweet rental car (with no power steering -- it apparently died while we were driving it) and trekked through the pouring rain to a beautiful property in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma.
Lynmar Estate is in a gorgeous setting -- very naturalistic with great landscaping and a terrific outdoor area that overlooks their estate vineyards. It is a perfect set-up for enjoying a pretty Sonoma day and the family, who 
owns the property, has clearly taken care with the design and hospitality of the place -- it was cozy yet elegant.
When we spoke to the tasting room dude, he told us that Lynmar and Fritz (a winery I love and will review soon) were separately 
owned by brothers. If you've been following the series on Napa/Sonoma, you won't be shocked by the Lynmar story -- it's rich-guy-loves-wine-buys-winery...same as virtually everyone else in California wine country. In Lynmar's case, the dude sold a logistics company to UPS and in 1990 founded Lynmar, making wine in other facilities until establishing a tasting room and winery on property in 2005.
Before I get into the wines, a tangent on Sonoma. Sonoma is much harder to get to know than Napa. For starters, it's much larger and the climate, soil types, and terrain vary drastically from area to area. The upside to this is that you get to taste so many different styles o
f wine and a lot of different grapes too. The downside -- it can take forever to really put your finger on which areas of Sonoma you like and which you don't.
Probably the most branded area of Sonoma is the Russian River Valley. This region, which started out as a settling spot for Russian Immigrants who lived on the coast (hence the name), was settled in the early 1800s. There was some small time grape growing in the 1840s, which gained speed through 1919 when the Federal Gov
Today 41% of the grapes in Russian River are Chardonnay and 29% Pinot Noir. The rest is kind of a hodgepodge with Zinfandel (9%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%), and Merlot (4%) rounding out the top 5. Bottom line -- if you go to the Russian River Valley, expect to taste a lot of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. And expect to taste a lot of it that is exactly like Lynmar's versions, which you'll either like, or, if you're me, really not like so much.
Why? For my palate, I'm not a fan of Chardonnay that tastes like the inside of a toasted oak 
The same is true for the oh-so-delicate Pinot Noir grape, which consistently tastes to me like a smoked berry fruit roll-up when from this region. In general, I find that the the complexity, the purity of the fruit, and the way that they can be highlighted by a gentle use of the right kind of barrel to give them flavor, is not achieved in the Russian River Valley by many producers. Is it true for everyone? No, I've already said I love Woodenhead and Siduri Russian River Pinot, so there are exceptions. But for my palate (which judging from the sales of Russian River wine, is not the same palate of most US wine drinkers), it doesn't work.
Before I get any further into reviewing the wines, I want to create a distinction. There are wines that suck and are poorly made (most jug wine for instance), and there are wines that are well made whose style I just don't like for any number of reasons. The latter point is relevant to Lynmar. So I'm going to review the 6 wines we tasted. I'm going to try to keep it neutral and I'm going to omit the Drink or Down the Sink portion because you can assume (there is one exception) that I would choose to drink many other things before drinking these wines, however I wouldn't chuck them either. They're just not my deal. Ok....
The Wine: La Sereinite Chardonnay
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Price: $70
Color: With a very pale straw hue and a slight green tinge, I expected the wine to be acidic, bright, and not at all oaky (oak aging can darken a wine's color so this looked unoaked and young).
Smell: A very lively nose of lemon, lime, and tart apple. It was a little buttery, but for the most part kind of neutral smelling.
Taste: For me this was the best tasting wine of the day. It tasted like lemon and tart apple, and was creamy but not overly so. It was a nice light wine. The winemaker aged it in neutral oak, which means there was no detectable oaky character to the wine. La Sereinte was also put through a secondary fermentation (malolactic for you dorks) to make it creamy but not cloying. This was a nice example of what Chardonnay from the Russian River would taste like if winemakers showed restraint. _______________________________________________________
The Wine: Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California 
The Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2007
Price: $30
Color: Full signs of oak aging in effect here -- the wine was a yellow-gold with gloppy legs, showing it's 14.3% alcohol right on the glass as it dripped down ever-so-slowly.
Smell: Pear and lemon were first but then a very buttery, toasty smell -- like a cream-filled pastry or french toast -- overpowered my nose. The wine smelled like popcorn too -- something I notice a lot in California Chardonnays and wish they would leave at the movies. There was a cinnamon latte note as well (also from oak), which I found rather random.
Taste: At first the pear and lemon shone through, but then there was a strong burnt caramel character with singed toast from a toaster. The wine was tart and acidic on the finish and the alcohol burn was reminiscent of my college days when slamming down shots of Popov Vodka and Goldschlager seemed like a fine idea. Ouch -- my poor esophagus.
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The Wine: Quail Hill Estate Chardonnay
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Price: $40
Color: Ok, so now we're back to the pale straw color -- the wine was nearly transparent. Given that the first wine was a similar hue and pretty good, I had hope that this wouldn't be an oak bomb...
Smell: The nose was not telling me much. It was kind of chemically-smelling, with orange, lemon, and lime notes but the wine was not generous with the aromas. I didn't get much of anything off the nose. Again, I thought this could be a good sign -- I didn't smell a popsicle stick or a 2 by 4, so this could be another winner.
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The Wine: Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2007
Price: $30
Color: A light ruby color made me think that maybe this was a lighter style, fruity Pinot instead of one that is over-ripe or blended with Syrah to darken the color. Fingers crossed.
Smell: The standard Pinot fruit smells of strawberry (stewed and dried in this case) and cherry were overwhelmed by an artificial smell that was almost chemical-like in nature. This is something I have smelled in other Russian River Pinot Noir. I don't know if it's the nature of the soil, the barrels used, or what the Pinot is picking up from the environment but either way, it's something to which I am VERY sensitive and it rules the glass for my nose.
Taste: The wine tasted like it smelled -- it was a complete fruit bomb but with an overlay of chemical, paint-like tastes. This Pinot tasted so processed to me -- so stylized and like the smells of a fermentation tank, that it was hard to get beyond it and find anything else to enjoy. _______________________________________________________
The Wine: Quail Hill Estate Pinot Noir
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2007
Price: $60
Color: Despite what the tasting notes describe (they say it's intense in color), I thought this wine was also the right color for Pinot Noir -- not very dark, but pretty, ruby, and light in color. 
Smell: And there it was again. The sour cherry fruit notes overlaid by a chemical smell, although this time there was a distinct salty sea note behind the fruit. Whether it be from the vineyard (this could have been a marine area at one point and still has those characteristics in the soil) or the barrels impart a wooden smell that registers in my mind as salt, it doesn't matter to me. Sour cherries and salt were tough.
Taste: The wine tasted slightly better than the smell -- like dried raspberries and strawberries with a little of unripe, tart black cherry. That salt character I smelled was integrated with the intense smoke from the oak (they must have charred these barrels well). These strong smells were a lot to take and choked out the bright fruit. _______________________________________________________
The Wine: Jenkins Vineyard Pinot Noir
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Price: $70
Before I get into detail on this wine, I want to say that we TRIED so hard to leave before we tasted this. Although the Chardonnays were passable, the Pinots were so the opposite of what I like in a Pinot that I just knew this wasn't going to be for me. I know this is one of their showpiece wines, so forgive me for the blatant honesty on this one.
Color: This was a dark, high alcohol wine. It looked like a Zinfandel from Paso Robles in the glass. What does that mean? Dark crimson in color (indicates to me that the grapes used were overripe) and viscous like blood (the legs took about half an hour to come down the glass because the alcohol was unbelievably high).
Smell: MC Ice (who is taking the picture above not pictured in it, FYI : ) and I actually had this funny moment while trying this wine. We both were tasting and looking at each other and trying to figure out why each of us disliked it so very much. Was it the alcohol smell that practically 
burnt off the tips of our noses? Was it the oyster shell/sea salt smell that was even more prominent than in the last wine? Or was it the very odd general beach-like nature of the wine that was so out of place for Pinot Noir (Burgundy, it's home, never imparts these characteristics) that is was almost fishy? On the positive, beaches have wildflowers from time to time and there was a note of that.
Taste: It was with heavy heart that put this in my mouth. The wine tasted less like salt and more like an over-done Pinot -- bursting overripe raspberry and cherry flavors were juiced up with a ton of smoky oak and nutmeg. The wine's texture was seriously astringent and it was heavy and had a hot alcohol burn from that 15.1% level they achieved from baking their grapes in the sun. This was like an elixir of sea salt and Port mixed together. Not for me.
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After my brief post on Lynmar while I was in Sonoma, I received a nice note from them. They are lovely and I should note that many critics and friends like their wines. You may like their wines too. I really just didn't dig them -- especially not their Pinot. I'd try them again, but with so much other stuff out there for me to drink, it may be a while before I get to it....
As always, if you know this winery, let me know what you think...
December 2, 2010
Wines That Are Just WRONG for My Palate: A Trip Gone Bad to an Esteemed Winery in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma
4 comments:
Not sure if you'll publish, but I feel compelled to make a few clarifications, since this a region I know fairly well.
1. "it's rich-guy-loves-wine-buys-winery, same as virtually everyone else in California wine country."
I couldn't disagree more, ESPECIALLY for North Sonoma County, which is full of small wineries, often with agrarian/grower backgrounds. Or, like Siduri that you loved, a small husband/wife team that used their last few dollars to make a few barrels of Pinot.
Of the 200+ wineries in North Sonoma, these small family models are more the norm, when you tally them up, and despite the economic downturn, continue to show up as Urban/warehouse wineries, Garagistes, etc.
Napa I'd say has far more of this, but if you visit, Paso, Santa Ynez, Central coast, Livermore, Lodi, and the other regions, you will also find this to be true.
(Btw you should meet Lynn Fritz sometime. He is an incredibly down to earth gentleman who has been developing/investing Lynmar vineyards since 1980, 30 years ago. He didn't just come in and write a big check. :))
2. Russian River Pinot
"And expect to taste a lot of it that is exactly like Lynmar's versions, which you'll either like, or, if you're me, really not like so much."
Who else in RRV did you taste besides Woodenhead, Siduri and Lynmar? Sorry this sounds like a very broad generalization. There are certainly some (usually larger) producers who are making bigger style Pinots, (which I rant about) but recent sojourns into OR, Central Coast, and 6 countries pouring at IPNC, showed this is hardly a RRV phenomenon. Tried Kathleen Inman? C. Donatiello? Skewis? Arista? Copain? Freestone? Iron Horse? Davis Family? All of these, to name a few, make lighter style, elegant pinot noir. (And not all of Lynmar's are as heavy handed as I pointed out last comment, but will leave that be.
Your generalization of CA pinot noir can apply globally now; we just have more producers here.
3. RRV Chardonnay
Like you, I lean towards well balanced, more moderate/neutral oak and Burgundian. And I will confess some of the Lynmar Chards are big and not my palate type either; like you, I like the La Sereinite.
Heavier oaked chard is hardly a RRV phenomenon, its US in general, across the many AVAs, and wine regions, in CA and others. Sadly this has been the US palate, but there are many gems to be found as well, and either unoaked, or neutral oaked chard is gaining in popularity.
4. Lynmar; over all I found some of your flavor profiles, and comments to be a bit dramatic ("down shots of Popov Vodka and Goldschlager seemed like a fine idea"..its a 14% chard, really?"
like you have a personal issue, although you try to soften it in the final closing sentence. I am known for a palate that also prefers lighter, less manipulated vinification methods. I won't call them out, but several of the Napa/Sonoma wineries you rant about are considered fairly mediocre, more mass consumer made like wines, yet you really hammer Lynmar. Just seems odd, and palate doesn't quite seem to explain it away. Trying hard here to not come across as combative, which can be a challenge in a non interactive medium.
5. RRV Varietals
Its true that by acres planted, Chard and Pinot dominate, and thats not a bad thing. Realize that RRV is over 15k acres. Pinot Gris represents only 1.5%, but that translates into 180 acres. Many dozens of varietals are grown here; if you look at veteran grower Saralee Kunde (and others) includes small lots Rhones like marsanne, roussanne, viognier, grenache. The climate isn't suited to thick skinned, late ripening varietals, and the cab and merlot are only here as a legacy, popularity, and in warmer pockets.
I understand I have the benefit of living here now, and a Bay area resident prior, so access and tasting makes it much easier to explore and discover. Should you return, perhaps we can hit the hills and valleys together, and see what we can uncover.
cheers
William
William,
I'm happy to publish your ideas. Perhaps you aren't familiar
with my blog or with my background, which includes time living & working in
California in the wine industry. I've tasted wine all over Napa and Sonoma Counties (and actually participated in winemaking while there too). I’ve been well trained on the area, although I don't live there now
You make a big assumption when you conclude I've only visited three wineries in the Russian River Valley in my lifetime. In my most recent trip I only visited a few wineries in the RRV, but I have spent much time there & am familiar with many wineries you mention and many you don't.
That said, this is not a contest to see how many wineries I've gone to in Sonoma. I am like most "normal" people living outside of CA. That means that when I am not visiting Wine Country, I taste the wines that are "mass consumer made," as you call it, because that is what is available to me. This, although you may not like it, is what we are all "out here" experiencing.
With all due respect, part of the problem that I find with wine critics who live in Wine Country is that they lose sight of what the more universal experience is with wine. We drink what is in our markets and although it's not all small production, much of it is quite delicious. People who live in places with easy access to wine often become so hung up on boutique producers that most of the populace can't access that it becomes frustrating for those of us who have limited/no access to read about these wines.
In my opinion, if a wine is well made, I don't care if it's for the "mass consumer." And mediocre is a subjective word -- if you read my blog you know that I also don't care what conventional critics consider mediocre or great for that matter. I go by own palate, which is clearly not in agreement with yours!
To hit on some of your other points, although there are many
smaller producers, those that are available to most of us & those with
tasting rooms that we can visit generally are funded by someone wealthy (we
were told in the tasting room that Lynn Fritz cashed out to live his dream so
he did, in essence, write a check). Having worked on the business side of wine
for years following business school, I am intimately familiar with the way this
works -- wine that is available in any quantity requires cash
My issue with Lynmar's Pinots was not even that they were heavy handed, more that they weren't pleasing to mypalate. Since each person has an individual sense of taste (which I pointed out in the title of the post and since the qualities I described I've found to be a quality in many RRV Pinots, perhaps this is just a quirk of my palate. It's my opinion, and although you're welcome to disagree, certainly one can't argue that another's sense of taste is plain wrong. I would say the same about my sensitivity to the alcohol balance -- it was my experience that the alcohol was out of balance, and I stated as much (perhaps in terms to which you didn't relate, but they were apt descriptors for me nonetheless).
Regarding anything personal against Lynmar or any other winery, I stay FAR away from all that business. I approach every wine with fresh eyes. I've got nothing against any winemaker, region, or winery. Like 99.9% of wine drinkers & many wine experts & Certified Sommeliers (of which I am one), I don't have any relationships with winemakers
or wineries.
My blog is editorial and factual. I'm a wine educator by profession and my audience and my passion is "normal people" - wine consumers who live around the country and around the world who want to know more about wine and who want an honest opinion -- even if they don't always agree with it.
I appreciate your comments. If you find my opinions aren't
for you, I hope you can find like-minded folks whose blogs you can follow.
Elizabeth
Too busy a day to reply to each except for:
"With all due respect, part of the problem that I find with wine critics who live in Wine Country is that they lose sight of what the more universal experience is with wine"
- newer resident here, only a few years.
- avidly travel and taste regularly in many other wine regions, especially Paso and Oregon.
- I drink/purchase/cellar as much wine remote from the area; my Cellar Tracker list will show I keep K&L busy with both domestic and imports.
- my primary relationship with wne makers (besides gleaning information for the few hundred cases I now make) is financial - I purchase their wines. A lot. :)
There is no doubt that MANY of the producers in any wine region, won't be available by mass retail. I lived in Dallas, Denver, Atlanta. Thank God for wine clubs, small wine shops, shipping, and wine cellars. A passionate wine consumer isn't stuck with KJ chard if they wish, they just need to be a bit more resourceful.
"To hit on some of your other points, although there are many
smaller producers, those that are available to most of us & those with tasting rooms that we can visit generally are funded by someone wealthy (we were told in the tasting room that Lynn Fritz cashed out to live his dream so
he did, in essence, write a check)"
I find this fairly off base again still sorry. Far more of the little guys do have tasting rooms than don't; often incredibly sparse, maybe open weekends or appointment only; but to paint a picture that most of the wineries here are funded by wealthy guys who waltzed in and bought it, is far from reality. I know many, far more than the wealthy owned places; where Husband/wife teams sweat it out 6 days a week, barely staying above water, but eeking it out. Does that mean you will find them in Safeway in Atlanta, no. But these people make wine, exist, and there wines can be sold DTC; which is why I advise on itens for visitors to visit these small gems, and buy the wines they can't easily get at home. (Lynmar btw, sells most of their 20k cases DTC, you won't find them on many shelves either. )
cheers and happy holidays
Well William, it would appear we're at a standstill! I see your points but would still maintain that most of the country has a hard time finding those really small places both when in wine country and when at home.
Many passionate wine lovers (especially now) don't have the financial resources to join wine clubs and pay for the bottles and shipping (and in many states you still can't receive shipments from wineries). That means we drink what we have access to easily -- much of that in small wine shops -- but I guess that is still too commercial for your purposes. Also, many of us on the East Coast have easier access to and drink lots and lots of imports (which I understand you do too), so we may want to spend our money on Burgundy and Barolo that our shops carry (I'm not sure when you lived in Atlanta, but we don't have Safeway here, so we wouldn't be finding any wine there!).
I would argue that maybe you aren't a "normal" wine consumer, nor have you ever been -- you are more of an afficionado, which is great, but this blog is more for wine lovers not those looking to give it all up and move to Sonoma, so maybe you can take that into account if you decide to continue reading. Your story is very neat, but also unusual, as you probably know.
This correspondence could go on all year, so let's just agree to disagree on many things, agree on some things, and have a great holiday season!
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