2011 Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Day 1

The Sonoma County Harvest Fair is The Big Event for local wine growers and producers.  Monday, Sept 26, 2011, was a trade/media tasting day. The main tasting is the weekend of Oct 1-2. 

Image from harvestfair.org

Following are wines I tasted listed by varietal. Note that there are multiple categories for many, such as Zinfandel Under $25 and Cabernet $25 to $35. I don't distinguish these categories but you can look up the full results at the fair's website.

Notes are sparse but I did rate them as follows:

EX = excellent, VG = very good, G = good, OK = just okay

Sparkling

Gloria Ferrer 2007 Carneros Brut Rosé, $42. Sweepstakes winner and Best of Class

Clean, good sugar/acid, burst of bubbles VG

Gloria always does a great job with their bubblies. This one's a bit more expensive than most.

Pinot Noir

Balletto 2009 Russian River Vly BCD Vyd, $34. Double Gold.

Not especially distinctive, bit hot on the finish. G

Gracianna 2009 Russian River Vly Bacigalupi Vyd, $48. Gold

Soft and lush. G

They do a great job with Zinfandel. This PN seems to be a similar style to their Zin.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Wilson 2005 Sonoma County Vineman Cabernet, $40. Silver

Undistinguished, drying. OK

Not a good deal for the price.

Bordeaux Blend

Wilson 2008 Dry Creek Vly Roger's Fault, $32. Gold

VG

Very nice for the price.

Primitivo

Trione 2009 Alexander Vly Home Ranch, $28. Best of Class

Rich, ripe, spicy, shows a bit of heat. VG

Yes, Primitivo has its own category this year.

Zinfandel

Mazzocco 2009 Dry Creek Vly Thurow, $32. Gold

Soft, fruity, finishes with a little spice and heat. G

Mazzocco 2009 Dry Creek Vly Warm Springs Ranch, $34

Ripe, soft, short finish. G

Mazzocco 2009 Dry Creek Vly Warm Springs Ranch Resv, $52

Lots of spice, some tannin. VG

Nice, but very expensive.

Mounts 2009 Dry Creek Vly Estate, $20.Gold.

Nice fruit with decent acid balance. G

Good food wine for the price.

Mounts 2009 Dry Creek Vly Estate Old Vines, $30. Silver

More of everything compared to the “regular” estate zin. VG

Very good for the price.

Sebastiani 2008 Dry Creek Vly, $24. Best of Class.

Big, brambly, correct acid. An old style Sonoma County Zin at its best. EX

The best bang-for-the-buck wine I tasted. I've found this true with several Sebastiani wines.

VC 2009 Dry Creek Vly, $28. Gold

Soft, peppery. G

Wilson 2009 Dry Creek Vly, $27. Bronze

Bit drying, tannins OK

Wilson 2009 Dry Creek Vly Sawyer, $36. Sweepstakes and Best of Class

Starts with soft red fruit then an explosion of spices. EX

Really amazing wine. I'm still trying to figure how I'd pair this with food.

Wilson 2009 Dry Creek Vly Sydney, $36. Gold

Bit dry, spice, needs time. G

Wilson 2009 Dry Creek Vly Molly's, $48

Soft, fruity, rich, easy drinking. VG

Yes, I tasted a lot of Mazzocco's and Wilson's wines (same owner).  With all the medals they won their table will be very busy next weekend so this seemed like the best chance.  Lots more on the Harvest Fair coming next weekend!

Warning! Petite Sirah will make your glass
look like this!