Already saw a Sojourn Berserker Day thread, so I’ll post my notes.
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The Sojourn Spring offering (Craig can call it spring if he wants, but it is definitely winter here in Chicago) is my favorite of the two yearly offerings. It has Sangiacomo for Pinot and Chard, Gap’s for Pinot, and Home Ranch for Cabs. I have always like these three vineyards. Sojourn has been one of my favorite producers over the last few years, and while last year’s wines were good, these are much improved upon. I was able to taste these new wines recently. The 2012 Pinots are great, as are the Chards. The Home Ranch is maturing, and this year Craig is offering a Rutherford Cab that is really good and a great QPR.
First, the 2012 Pinots, all of which had been decanted for about a half hour and poured back into the bottle an hour earlier.
2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Of the four Pinots, this is clearly the most approachable one right now. It strikes me as ready to drink. In fact, we all had the same thought. It was very crisp, clean, with a nice acidity. This would pair well with food, but could be enjoyed on its own. The SC also had a lot of fruit. To me, the sweet red fruits came out, such as strawberry and red cherries, but there was a back-end of dried cranberry as well. That sounds odd, but the red fruits really jumped, and the crispness is what I think some detected when they said cranberries. The SC has some of the earthiness you would expect from SC. I think this one will be a crowd pleaser, and is a good QPR. A great Pinot to stock up on. Save some for spring and summer Pinot drinking. This is the best of this SC bottling yet – just pure tasty.
2012 Rodgers Creek Vyd (SC) Pinot Noir
Of the four we tasted, this was the tightest, and it had the most grip. This one probably needs the biggest decant right now. It also should age well. This one is more dark berry and wild fruit. Much more structured than the SC (as to be expected). Rodgers is much more concentrated. It had more of the SC forest floor, mushroom, and earth notes you would expect of a SC Pinot. Definitely had more of that earthy, floory aroma. Probably of the four, this had the most aromatics.
Now, onto consistently my most favorite Pinot vineyards – Sangiacomo and Gap’s. Got to taste these before the main course at a dinner, but they were paired with veal saltimbocca and rabbit ragout, per the restaurant’s recommendation. The previous two were paired with a wild mushroom soup and a duck bruschetta (there were no bad food matches).
2012 Sangiacomo Vyd (SC) Pinot Noir
This was the group’s favorite. All of us universally liked this the best. As a side note, the restaurant manager and the server (she is a pretty good sommelier in her own right) also sampled the wines, and this was their favorite – they both loved this wine. Why? Probably because this paired the best with the meal and foods. In many ways it reminded us all of the regular Sonoma Coast – just amped up. Of the four, the Sangiacomo also seemed the most sophisticated. It had more of the SC characteristics than the first wine – more earth, more forest floor. It also had more tannin. Still had great fruit, but instead of sweet red cherries, it was black cherry. It had some cinnamon as well. So in general, everything was just a bit more intense, or darker. Again, this was the favorite for balance of aromatics, intensity, layers, eloquence, and ability to pair well with food. Buy this as an all-round, eloquent Pinot.
2012 Gap’s Crown Vyd (SC) Pinot Noir
This vineyard has become my favorite across multiple Pinot producers, and Sojourn does about the best job with this vineyard. Of the four wines, this was the biggest. It was the most plush, had the most mouthfeel – was just big. The Gap’s paired well with the heavier meats and game. This is a wine that can go with big food, and can stand on its own. Right now it is a great winter wine. But this wine could use some time, and should be able to age. Of the four, this one showed the most SC spice – the Thanksgiving and baking spices that I love. It also had a great deal of earth, and more cocoa and dark fruits. I love Gap’s Crown, and if you’re looking for a Pinot to go with heavier or richer foods, or you want a Pinot to pop and enjoy, Gap’s is the one.
Now onto the 2011 Cabs. I’m getting more excited about Sojourn’s Cabs. Most people by now are quite familiar with their Pinots, but I think the Cabs need more attention (and the Chards may be next in line for attention). Again, we were told that all had been decanted for about a half hour and poured back into the bottle an hour earlier. These were also served during the main course.
2011 Home Ranch Vyd Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma Valley)
I’ve liked this vineyard since the first time I tried it. I’ve enjoyed the brambly, rustic nature of it. It is now beginning to tame itself. Home Ranch is now more silky and lush. It still has just a bit of barnyard to it, but lots of dark fruit (blueberry, some blackberry), mocha, some vanilla and cola (on this board, I don’t think I can say chocolate), and plenty of tannin. This wine needs more time, although it is quite drinkable now. Actually, what this wine needs is meat. The restaurant noticed this as well, that it would pair well with heavier meats. Still, all that said, it is very expressive and refined, and has the acidity to pair with food. Home Ranch is becoming more polished. A crowd pleasing Cab that should also get better over time. Continues to be one of my favorites.
2011 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
This Cab is much more jammy and big. It has a lot more mouthfeel. It has more layers and more structure. This is a Cab that, while it pairs well with food, I can enjoy just sitting around drinking. The Rutherford is a nice, silky, velvety Rutherford Cab. Very balanced, very classic. Great QPR if considering other Cabs. Buy this as a luxurious Cab that competes well with some higher priced Rutherford Cabs.
Now onto the 2012 Chardonnays. We tasted these wines on another occasion at a friend’s house with a chicken, scallion and mushroom dish alongside them. We were fortunate in that there was an opened 2011 Sojourn Sangiacomo Chardonnay to taste alongside these, as well as a French Chablis. While the 2011s were very good, these are much better. So to my previous note, the Sojourn Chards have gotten quite good as well and need more attention.
2012 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
This was a very nice, crisp Chard. It had great acidity to it. The Sonoma Coast paired the best with food, and was also the most approachable. It is definitely ready to pop-and-pour (in fact, both had no decant). It had a nice herbal characteristic, great aromatics, with some floral notes. It had some stone fruit and lots of minerality. It also had a slight greenish color to it. Everyone really enjoyed this wine, I think because of its approachability, and because it paired so well with the chicken dish (should get the recipe and send to Craig). Someone noted it was more French-like. I’ll be getting a few of these because it is so easy to drink and to match with food.
2012 Sangiacomo Vyd (SV) Chardonnay
This Chard was heavier and the oak showed more, both in mouthfeel and color. The Sangiacomo has a more golden color, and the mouthfeel was heavier (to creamier, but in a good way, not a buttery way). The oak did not overpower, as it had more citrus, pectin, and maybe even some fig and melon. Someone even noted crème brulee. The Sangiacomo has a bigger nose, with honey aromas. This was a much tastier Chard, and one I would let rest a bit before I opened. The Sangiacomo simply has more layers, depth, and complexity. If you’re looking for a Chardonnay to pop and to just sit back and enjoy, this will be the one.