Open: 11:00am-4:30pm on Saturday and Sunday only. Appointment tastings available on Mondays and Fridays.
Appt required? Not on the weekends, but required on Monday or Friday.
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2012 (April 15, 2012 Itinerary)
Directions:
View Sonoma in a larger map or Get DirectionsTasting:
We had been to Joseph "Stop Looking At Me" Swan a couple of times in the past, but on a recent trip I wanted to give it my full blogger attention. The winery and tasting room is located off of River Rd in Russian River Valley, tucked away well off the beaten path down Trenton Rd.
We walked in on a Sunday morning to a busy tasting room, with 10 or so guests already in the process of trying Joseph Swan wines. In addition to a relatively small tasting bar, the room houses barrels and a forklift to get them in the racks as well as a collection of local art adorning the walls behind the bar.
We found a spot at the small side tasting bar on the left and started our taste with the 2010 Gewurztraminer. This mostly dry white wine was quite good and something I found myself considering picking up for the summer. We followed with a 2009 Pinot Gris (nothing special) before moving into what we came for: the Pinot Noirs.
I’d been a fan of the wines I’d had from Swan in the past, so much so that I ordered some 2007s based solely on my enjoyment of past vintages and the reputation of that year for Sonoma Pinot. Our first Pinot was the 2007 Saralee Vineyard, and it was…okay. I was worried somehow I’d misinterpreted the wines on my previous trips. However, the 2008 Trenton View Pinot Noir redeemed my faith. This turned out to be the star of the visit for me. We concluded the tasting with a poor 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel and an equally unimpressive 2005 Great Oak Syrah.
The surprising thing to me on this trip that certainly wasn’t a component on past visits was the poor service. While the room was busy, we found ourselves waiting 5-10 minutes between completion of a wine and the next pour, and at one point I think they completely forgot about us. In their defense, we were off to the side, but by the time we finished the tasting we were one of only two groups in the room. I’d had a fond spot for Joseph Swan, and I still do, but this was not a very good trip: below average wines (with the exception of the 2008 Trenton View Pinot), poor service, and overall no longer a tasting room I would regularly recommend.
We walked in on a Sunday morning to a busy tasting room, with 10 or so guests already in the process of trying Joseph Swan wines. In addition to a relatively small tasting bar, the room houses barrels and a forklift to get them in the racks as well as a collection of local art adorning the walls behind the bar.
I’d been a fan of the wines I’d had from Swan in the past, so much so that I ordered some 2007s based solely on my enjoyment of past vintages and the reputation of that year for Sonoma Pinot. Our first Pinot was the 2007 Saralee Vineyard, and it was…okay. I was worried somehow I’d misinterpreted the wines on my previous trips. However, the 2008 Trenton View Pinot Noir redeemed my faith. This turned out to be the star of the visit for me. We concluded the tasting with a poor 2006 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel and an equally unimpressive 2005 Great Oak Syrah.
The surprising thing to me on this trip that certainly wasn’t a component on past visits was the poor service. While the room was busy, we found ourselves waiting 5-10 minutes between completion of a wine and the next pour, and at one point I think they completely forgot about us. In their defense, we were off to the side, but by the time we finished the tasting we were one of only two groups in the room. I’d had a fond spot for Joseph Swan, and I still do, but this was not a very good trip: below average wines (with the exception of the 2008 Trenton View Pinot), poor service, and overall no longer a tasting room I would regularly recommend.
Recommended wine: I enjoyed the 2008 Trenton View Pinot Noir quite a bit and the Gewurztraminer was good, but everything else was uncharacteristically disappointing on this visit.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 4.00 |  TASTING ROOM | 3.75 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 3.25 |  VALUE | 4.25 |
 OVERALL | 3.81 | ||
Any gifted forklift specialist regularly need to work in congested zones and he generally need to be conscious of his movements, as smugness or routine could make a mischance. Warehouses are dependably occupied with individuals, beds, hardware all moving about, and there is an ever show danger of harm or damage, which must be stayed away from.
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