I didn't get out of Santa Clara until a few minutes after 9, and I pulled in to Foppiano at about a quarter after eleven. Good time.
They were pushing the '02 Sangiovese for $10, and it was good enough to get a bottle for current consumption. I picked up a couple of bottles of PS, just because I like it, and spent atonnabux ($48) for a bottle of the '01 reserve PS. Nice combination of meat and red pepper, and the tasting bottle was neither just-opened nor aged.
Limerick Lane (pronounced with a long I; there used to be a quarry and "rick" for making lime for plaster up the road) is just a block from Foppiano. Christopher Creek is not far past the freeway bridge, and Limerick Lane Winery is about a mile from Foppiano.
I'd stopped at Christoper Creek once before and been unimpressed. Yesteray was a better day for either me or them
. The wines were good, but not all that outstanding, except a very good '05 Syrah that will be very good in a couple of years and I think it's a reasonable value at $25.
Limerick Lane is basically a Zin store. Their Collins Vineyard contains dry-farmed vines ranging from roughly 50 to 110 years old - and a significant chunk are in the 80+ range. I picked up a couple of bottles of the "cheapest" and IMO best '04 Zin at $26. It's RRV style, but not overwrought, 14.6% alcohol, ripe and dark but not "big". They're located on the hillside to the east of 101 just south of Healdsburg.
From there I went up to Dry Creek Road and stopped for the first time at Wilson Winery, in a big barn just south of the Dry Creek Store. Good wines but nothing that really turned me on. I doubt I'll stop there again. I did pick up a bottle of Old Vine Zin and a bottle of pretty good estate Cab from the 2000 vintage. $32 each and the Cab should be a good value.
Wilson and many other places have taken to asking $5 for tasting, refunded if you buy. <sigh> I guess too many stretch limos with folks out for a cheap drunk.
I stopped at Dry Creek Winery and a bus was there and you couldn't get into the tasting room. Quivira was having a release festival, so they were crowded too. I did stop into the festival room (I'm a club member there) and taste their '06 Sauvignon Blanc "Total" (or something like that). It's entirely matured in wood, 3/4 used and 1/4 new French oak. Well made wine. Not to my taste. I'll get some in a shipment I'm sure. I hope it gets better. Nothing else particularly new or interesting there.
I went on up Old Dry Creek Road (a beautiful slow drive) to David Coffaro, where I had a good chat and picked up my '06 futures purchases.
<gasp> 4 CASES!!! OMIGAWD!! Where am I going to put it all?
Well, I put it into the trunk of the car. "Fresco", Zin, Terre Melange, Barbera, "My Zin", "Escuro", Block 4, Aca Modot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Estate Cuvee, Carignan, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Cab (Dry Creek), ZP2C. I've tasted it all in barrel and in bottle. It's all good. I really, really like David's SB, which is not your standard stuff. I can look up the blends for the blends. Block 4 is 1880s vines, some of which are not identifiable without spending a ton of bucks. Estate Cuvee is a Zin-Cab blend plus other stuff that varies each year. ZP2C is whatever's left in the barrels after the main stuff is done. Good hamburger wine.
You'd think I'd be done. Wrong. I went down to the next door neighbor, Yoakim Bridge Winery (another first visit for me). This is a tiny operation, husband and wife do it all, including manning the tasting room. Very very good wine. I'll have to go back regularly. I picked up a bottle of Estate Zin and a bottle of Syrah that's grown on the hill just across Dry Creek Road, facing west. The '02 Syrah is ready now, but it'll be readier in a couple or four years. The '05 Zin is a very flavorful DCV Zin.
And at last I trekked over to the Alexander Valley and hit Field Stone Winery. This was in my plan from the start. Field Stone makes a great SB, and I picked up a rather expensive but totally delicious estate Viognier that cost me $20. Shows what I consider expensive. 13.5% alcohol.
I got a bottle of Merlot and a bottle of '03 Sangiovese (2/3 estate grapes, 1/3 from Mendocino County, 500 cases total) for $16. Field Stone makes really good wine and really good values.
It was past time to be leaving -- I got out of Field Stone just before 4 PM and it was a quarter after 6 by the time I got home to cook spaghetti for my 88 year old mother and myself.
Wine? Swan Lone Redwood Zin '00. See separate note.
It was a long and rewarding day. I only got a little bit stored today. Oh, well, I needed something to do in retirement.