Gang of Pour - Alan Kerr's Tasting Notes, Reporting From The Valley


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	\| No road trip to Dry Creek can be considered complete without a stop at David Coffaro’s winery, located on the scenic winding Dry Creek Rd. Coffaro’s wines are some of the best values in the valley. I met David several years ago. Back then I was amazed by the amount of time he chose to take out of his day to allow me the privilege to barrel sample his wares while lecturing me on the pros and cons of growing grapes in Dry Creek Valley terroir. Coffaro wines are unique. Grape varieties are fermented here that do not appear on other winery labels in the state. Take a look, for example, at the Coffaro Estate vineyard; it is truly a field blend and then some. The combination of having access to so many varietals and David’s ability to see a wine’s potential before it is blended, results in some unique fare. Unfortunately, for me at least, David and his wife Pat had taken a few days away from the heat of Dry Creek to enjoy the cooler climes of San Francisco when I was in the valley. However, I was able to taste several wines offered at the tasting bar and here are my thoughts. Coffaro Chardonnay Bennett Valley 2005 $18.00 Sharp clean fruit, touch of crab apple and baked pear, all with lively, but balanced acidity. Find this wine Coffaro Fresco 2005 $22.00 On the initial nose I detect several layers of sweetness until some hefty notes of anise and cherry begin to appear. It is quite floral, medium bodied and finishes with a touch of Ribena. A blend of 36%, Alvarelhao, 34% Peloursin and 30% Cabernet. Find this wine
Coffaro Terre Melange Estate Bottled 2004 $24.00 Composed of 41% Carignan 26% Peloursin, 26% Syrah and 7% Mourvedre, this is a fine example of Coffaro’s matchless ability to blend. It emits aromas of black liquorish, wet earth, stewed plum, black cherry and currant. It is very concentrated, thick on the palate, but a little tight. Another swirl of the glass reveals some thyme, underbrush, pencil and a note of medicinal compound. There is excellent length on the finish. Find this wine Coffaro Bernier’s Zinfandel 2003 $26.00 A spicy nose of Zinberry, underbrush, balsa, cedar and pepper. The mid palate shows solid cherry and black fruit. Its chewy finish displays Dutch liquorish, cherry and cola. Find this wine Coffaro Neighbors' Cuvee Dry Creek 2003 $22.00 This more familiar mix of Cab, Petit Syrah, Zin, Syrah and Carignan is loaded with blackberry, oak and red fruit. There is good acidity, but this baby needs time to let that oak integrate with the fruit. Find this wine Coffaro Annie’s Red 2004 $24.00 A blend of Alvarelhao, Touriga, Cab, Sangiovese, Petit Syrah, Zin and Carignan. Sweet vanilla, cooked black fruit coulis, red liquorish, blueberry in sweet paste pie and a touch of earthy mineral flavour. Nice stuff. Find this wine Coffaro Barbera 2002 $N/A A compelling mix of 75% Barbera, 9% Pinot Noir, 7% Carignan, 6% Petit Syrah and about 3% Zin thrown in for good measure. Bottle age has allowed this to develop aromas of cheese rind, forest floor, black soil, lilac, mineral, coal dust, coffee grinds and Coffee Crisp candy. It has a ripe velvet texture on the palate, the fruit shines and red fruit acidity coats the palate on the finish. Very tasty. Find this wine Coffaro wines are available as futures and one can get discounted pre harvest prices that are considerably less than they will be when they hit the shelf. Barring a climatic disaster or Schwarzenegger decides crushing grapes is a barbaric phenomenon and bans the practice, Coffaro’s futures are well worth checking out. Reporting from the valley, CZ Front Page \| Robert Biale Vineyards \| Tandem Winery \| Carlisle Winery Ridge Vineyards \| Elyse Winery Quivira Vineyards \| Unti Vineyards \| Ravenswood Winery Quaint Watering Hole Called Pancha’s BACK TO THE TOP Alan Kerr's Home Page and Main Index

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