Rochioli (4.00)

http://www.rochioliwinery.com/

Open: Thursday-Monday, 11:00am-4:00pm; Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment

Appt required? No

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2011 (September 29, 2011 Itinerary)

Directions:

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Tasting:

J. Rochioli is sometimes considered the father of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley, given he was the first to plant it there over 50 years ago. With my love of Sonoma Pinot combined with some stellar reviews of 2009 Rochioli wine in Wine Spectator, I figured it was worth it to give the tasting room a try.

Visitors walk through impeccably groomed French manicured grounds featuring many picnic tables to a back patio that overlooks the vineyard. Adjacent to the patio is a moderately sized tasting room with a corner tasting bar. We bellied up and prepared to taste some excellent wines.

Unfortunately, the tasting room only pours 3 wines: the J. Rochioli Chardonnay, the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, and the “Field Blend” (a Syrah-based blend). Both the Chardonnay and Pinot were top notch; the field blend was average at best. My biggest disappointment, though, was that they didn’t pour or even sell more of their portfolio. While the Russian River Pinot was probably good enough for me to explore their club/allocation list, ultimately this isn’t a great tasting experience due to the lack of options. What I would recommend, however, is coming here for lunch. The view from the patio is fantastic, and should that be full, there are close to a dozen picnic tables available in the gardens.

Recommended wine: Both the Chardonnay and the Russian River Pinot Noir were great, leading me to believe the single vineyard Pinots are probably fantastic.

Ratings (out of 5):

WINE	4.50	TASTING ROOM	4.25
ATMOSPHERE	3.75	VALUE	3.50
OVERALL		4.00

Dutcher Crossing (3.94)

http://www.dutchercrossingwinery.com/

Open: 11:00am-5:00pm

Appt required? No

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2011

Directions:

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Tasting:

Recently, Jackass 2.0 came on Comedy Central, and their "Bicentennial BMX" stunt reminded me that I hadn't posted anything about our trip to Dutcher Crossing. We stopped at Dutcher Crossing on the advice of our tasting host at Truett-Hurst, armed with a free tasting coupon and middling expectations. Located on Dry Creek Road, Dutcher Crossing features a well-appointed tasting facility specializing in the standard varietals found in Sonoma: Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet.

We strolled in to the tasting room, a high-ceilinged bright structure with a large tasting bar. We were warmly greeted and began our customary sharing of a tasting. Dutcher Crossing's "thing" is their vintage high-wheel bicycle. The bike was a gift to owner Debra Mathy from her father shortly before his death in 2006, and a replica sits in the tasting room. As we learned this story, we worked our way through Dutcher Crossing's basic tasting menu.

The Bike at Dutcher Crossing...

...and our friends from Jackass

A lot was set up for me to like this winery. The Mathy's are originally from Wisconsin, the setting for the winery is beautiful, and the people in the tasting room were friendly and attentive. But ultimately the wine will be what keeps me coming back to a place, and there was nothing jawdropping about what I tried at Dutcher Crossing. Plus, they subscribe to a habit that annoys me -- the "bogus reserve". Half of the wines on their list are labeled "reserve", including a Petite Sirah, Syrah, Zinfandel, and 3 different Cabernets! In the case of the Petite Sirah and the Syrah, they only make the one wine. What are you reserving if you're only making one?

This is a nice stop for the setting and the friendly staff, but the wine was so-so and nothing overly memorable.

Recommended wine: Nothing stood out. Pass on this one.

Ratings (out of 5):

WINE	3.50	TASTING ROOM	4.25
ATMOSPHERE	4.25	VALUE	3.75
OVERALL		3.94