We tried these two new Boheme Chards at out Pig+Fig Tasting ystrday:
1. Boheme Chard Taylor RidgeVnyd/WestSonomaCoast (13.1%; Hrvstd: Oct.25; Y=1.9 tons/acre; Frmtd: 20% new Fr.Burg brls; 189 cs) 2023: Med.dark gold color; strong ripe/melony/Chard very fragrant some pencilly/toasty/Fr.oak lightly floral/honeyed slight saline/WhiteBurg very perfumed lovely nose; fairly tart/tangy rather briney/savory fairly minerally modest almond/Chard brisj honeydew slight metallic/mineral very French-like non-Calif Chard flavor; very long briney/savory finish that tracks flavor; a rather un-Calif like Chard some like a WhiteBurg but not the stony minerality; quite a lovely/complex expression of Calif Chard. $50.00/$40.00
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2. Boheme Chard English HillVnyd SonomaCoast/SebastapolHills (14.5%; WenteSlctnClone;Hrvstd Oct.18; Y=1.77 tons/acre; w-c pressed; Frmtd in 25% new Fr.oak brls; 105 cs) 2023: Med.dark gold color; somewhat lighter slight stony bit more floral some almondy/honeydew bit quieter lovely nose; quite tart/tangy/bit metallic lightly floral/honeydew/melony/Chard some savory/saline bit more quiet/austere flavor; very long/lingering some saline/briney finish that tracks flavor; a bit lighter more mineral bit more interesting/complex Chard; quite a lovely Calif Chard that speaks w/ a French accent. $50.00/$40.00
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More dricklepurt from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Boheme is a wnry in Occidental run by Kurt Beitler. A member of the CharlieWagner family of Caymus fame. When the Wagner's wanted to grown more cold-climate Pinot grapes, Kurt returned from OR to plant their vnyd up on TaylorRidgeRd to the SW of Occidental. Because they were concerned of ripening the Pinot grapes in such a cold climate, Kurt put the vnyd up on a pergola training system, like used in the AltoAdige. One of the very few pergola vnyds in Calif.
I first met Kurt thru Al Rago, who planted/farmed the famed Que Syrah vnyd at the very end of TaylorRidgeRd. Kurt was, by then, farming Al's Que Syrah Vnyd. The Syrah grapes were then going to EhrenJordan, who was kinda fussy on how the grapes were to be grown. Just up the TaylorRidgeRd before you drop down into QueSyrah, Al's son, VincentRago planted his vnyd to Chard & Pinot. This is the source of Kurt's TaylorRidge wines. Kurt also planted a vnyd to the SE of Occidental that is know as the EnglishHill Vnyd, mostly to Pinot/Chard w/ a small lot of Syrah grapes. Perched high on the hill overlooking the vlly which contains the village of Sebastapol, it is a certifiable cold-climate vnyd.
When Kurt started making his own wines, he was making them at the Caymus Wnry in the NapaVlly to the East of St.Helena. Al took me there on a visit to meet Kurt, taste his wines, and then off to lunch at the RutherfordGrill. From barrel, I took an instant love for Kurt's wines & continued to buy them over the yrs. They are varietally-correct Calif wines but speak w/ a strong French accent. Wonderful wines. The Boheme name comes from the famed Bohemian Grove which lies just to the NW of Occidental. This is an organization of very influential political types who get together each Summer to let down their hair. Their ribald parties are legendary. Thus far, I've never been invited to attend.
Tom