Got my latest shipment from DryCreekVnyds today, so cracked:
1. DryCreekVnyd Chard DCV10/RRV/SonomaCnty (14.3%; www.DryCreekVineyard.com; 202 cs) 2010: Med.yellow color; very bright/vibrant lemony/Chard/melony/spicy slight earthy light pencilly/oak nose; tart clean/vibrant/zippy lemony/Chard/melony/bit celery/grapefruit very light pencilly/oak flavor; very long bright/laser-sharp tart lemony/grapefruity/melony/Chard slight earthy light pencilly/oak finish; a Chard that will benefit from a few yrs of age; a bright/racy/vibrant Chard that reminds me a lot of MargaretRiver Chards. $34.00
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I had tried the previous night a Rhone GrenacheBlanc that was dull as dishwater and I was in the mood for a white that had some life to it. So when my VSP package hit the doorstep ystrday afternoon, I knew this Chard was what I wanted. And it exactly hit the spot. It seemed somewhat leaner and racier, less oak, than previous versions. Whether it shows its terroir (the highest calling of any wine if you worship at the altar of terroir) of DCV10 or not...I haven't a clue. But I kept going back to this wine and thinking..."Damn...this is good". That's what good wines are all about.
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2. I think DCV is probably making the best wines they ever have. Thru a number of winemakers over the yrs (it's not what you'd call a revolving door, though), they have maintained a remarkable consistency of style. I attribute it to the quality of the vnyds they've established over the yrs.
Their HeritageClone Zin, at $18, is one of the best Zin values out there. Their Beeson & Sommers Ranch Zins are as good as any being made in the DryCreekVlly. Though not a fan of Cabernet, their various Cab blends are some of the few I regularly drink. Heck...I've even been known to drink their....gag me with a spoon...[size:8pt]Merlot[/size]. Best of all, their prices remain very reasonable.
Yet, DCV never seems to get much of a buzz. I expect there will be very few views of this post on any of the wine boards. So why is that?? I expect that it's because their CheninBlanc and FumeBlanc and Heritage Zin is so ubiquitous in the marketplace and so reasonably priced. "Oh...a DCV3 SauvignonMusque...why would that wine possibly interest me??" So they grab a Spotswoode SauvBlanc, a lesser wine at a much higher price...because of its semi-cult status. It's so sad. But at least some of us drink well w/o breaking the bank...and it's often a DCV wine.
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3. On this same shipment was this big box that looked/felt like it contained a W33 nuclear artillery shell. I ripped it open and it was a magnum of the DCV CabernetSauv '08. What the heck...I didn't order any DCV magnum...let alone a friggin' Cabernet?? The accompanying letter explained it...a gift from DCV for being a founding member of their wine club and 40 yrs of buying DCV wines. I have...ahem....followed DCV from the very start..the '72 CheninBlanc.
It never ceases to amaze me how some wineries have figured out what good customer relations are all about...and some wineries haven't a friggin' clue. DCV is one of the wineries that really gets it.
Tom