We are often asked about our favorite wines and varieties. Unfortunately, because we write about so many wines, it is impossible for us to have one favorite. There are, however, certain producers we are, shall we say, partial to. One of those is Dry Creek Vineyard of Sonoma County.
Since its founding in 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard has produced outstanding, high-quality wines. By specializing mostly in zinfandel, they have raised that once lowly and misused variety to great heights of quality and finesse.
Another often overlooked variety is the chenin blanc, which was usually reserved for cheap white wines but has been brought to its full potential by the Dry Creek winemakers. It is always a pleasure to sample each vintage from Dry Creek.
Dry Creek 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel ($15)It is a well-known fact that zinfandel grapes from old vines take on a charm, style and character of their own. But how old do the vines have to be to be called “old vines?” The grapes for the Dry Creek 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel come from vines that range between 30 and 90 years old, and for grape vines, that’s old.
The resultant wine from these grapes is striking. Big, bold aromas of raspberry, strawberry, mint and oak delight the senses. These aromas are carried over to the flavor, where they merge with black pepper and exotic spice.
If you have never tried an “old vine” zin, this is your chance, and you can do it with pocket change.
Dry Creek Vineyard 2010 Sonoma County Mariner ($45) This wine is classified as a meritage, a wine that is a blend of several varieties, with cabernet savignon usually being the major constituent.
In the Dry Creek Vineyard 2010 Sonoma County Mariner, the blend is 40 percent cabernet savignon, 40 percent merlot, 8 percent malbec, 6 percent cabernet franc and 6 percent petit verdot. Mariner is not a standard formula wine, produced the same way each and every year, but a wine tailored to utilize the grapes of a specific year in such a way as to produce a drink directed toward the American palate.
The aroma is a compendium of interesting sensations, running from black cherries to coffee and oak. The flavor accents dark berries and cassis with a whole series of under-flavors running from blackberry to green tea. There also is a mineral quality in this wine that carries over to the extraordinary long finish.
The best word to describe this wine is elegant, and that is exactly what it is, an elegant, well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable wine worth every penny of its price.
Dry Creek Vineyard 2010 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($16)This is a wine that is true to its Sonoma County birthplace, stressing fruit flavors over the usually austere and stiff character often associated with the variety. It beautifully straddles the fence between classical bordeaux claret and a modern Californian.
The color is deep and dark ruby and presents an aroma showcasing raspberries, sage and the Dry Creek signature aroma of dried flowers. These carry over to the flavor where they mingle with a cherry element and the very discernible flavors of cocoa and plum, with just a hint of oak. This wine has a wonderful softness about it and reflects many of the attributes found only in well-aged wines.
Rather than being saved to be served only with the heaviest of meat dishes, this wine's expansive flavor spectrum allows it to be used with a much broader selection of meat and cheese dishes and chocolate desserts.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.[[In-content Ad]]
