Open: 10:30am-5:30pm
Appt required? No
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2012 (May 17, 2012 Itinerary)
Directions:
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Tasting:
After my attempted tasting at Viansa had to be aborted due to the busloads of tourists that beat me there, I rerouted and stopped at nearby Anaba for the first tasting of their day. This was my first trip to this relatively young winery, and I had the chance to chat 1-on-1 with my host and pace myself through a tasting. The tasting room, oddly, is bracketed by two large palm trees, and features a modest tasting bar and a large outdoor porch. My host gave me the option of tasting inside or outside, and for his convenience I chose to just stand at the bar.
Anaba offers two tastings: a $10 Tasting that features lower end blends, and a $20 Tasting that focuses on their single vineyard offerings. Naturally I chose the single vineyard tasting. My first 2 wines were 2009 Sonoma Coast Chardonnays, one a Wente Clone from the Denmark Vineyard and the other from the Gap's Crown Vineyard. Both were good, more minerally than buttery, and I slightly preferred the Denmark Vineyard Wente Clone. At $37/bottle, though, there were other Chardonnays in that price range or below that I prefer.
I moved on to reds with a 2009 Pinot Noir, also from the Gap's Crown Vineyard from which I had just sampled the Chardonnay. Again, this was a good offering but nothing mind-blowing. Following the Pinot was a 2009 Mouvedre from the Annadel Estate Vineyard, which was just so-so for me. I prefer Imagery's Mouvedre to this one, and they are similarly priced at around $40. My last wine of the tasting was a 2009 Syrah from the Las Madres Vineyard in Carneros. Of the five wines, this turned out to be my favorite. It wasn't overpowering as some Syrahs can be, but had good complexity and a nice finish.
Thinking I was done, my host asked the question I always feel compelled to say yes to: "Do you like dessert wine?" Anaba offered three: a white Port, a late harvest Viognier, and a red Port. For the novelty, I decided to try the white port, which turned out to be very tasty, with heavy notes of peach that would make it an excellent companion with fruit or creme brulee.
While a couple of the wines peaked my interest, ultimately I decided to be responsible and pass on any purchases. There were better wines in my future in the same price bracket. Overall this was a pleasant tasting experience and a slightly above average stop for the downtown Sonoma area.
Anaba offers two tastings: a $10 Tasting that features lower end blends, and a $20 Tasting that focuses on their single vineyard offerings. Naturally I chose the single vineyard tasting. My first 2 wines were 2009 Sonoma Coast Chardonnays, one a Wente Clone from the Denmark Vineyard and the other from the Gap's Crown Vineyard. Both were good, more minerally than buttery, and I slightly preferred the Denmark Vineyard Wente Clone. At $37/bottle, though, there were other Chardonnays in that price range or below that I prefer.
Thinking I was done, my host asked the question I always feel compelled to say yes to: "Do you like dessert wine?" Anaba offered three: a white Port, a late harvest Viognier, and a red Port. For the novelty, I decided to try the white port, which turned out to be very tasty, with heavy notes of peach that would make it an excellent companion with fruit or creme brulee.
While a couple of the wines peaked my interest, ultimately I decided to be responsible and pass on any purchases. There were better wines in my future in the same price bracket. Overall this was a pleasant tasting experience and a slightly above average stop for the downtown Sonoma area.
Recommended wine: The 2009 Las Madres Vineyard Syrah and the White Aero Port were my two favorites of the tasting, but neither was amazing.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 3.75 |  TASTING ROOM | 4.25 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 4.25 |  VALUE | 3.75 |
 OVERALL | 4.00 | ||
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