I wasn't entirely sure what I was walking into. I RSVP'd for an event at Hatfield's hosted by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein. Having not been inside the newly relocated Hatfield's restaurant, and having heard great things, I figured that was reason enough to check it out. Oh! And they were going to pour Greg La Follette's new label that is being released this fall.
Greg La Follette is a superstar in the world of Pinot. He's also a super genius when it comes to winemaking - he literally wrote the book on it. Wildly brilliant and still passionate about it, he is a joy to listen to. With a resume that includes working at BV with Andre Tchelistcheff and launching Flowers and Tandem wineries, how could you not want to spend a few hours with the man?
The event began with a glass of Torbreck's Roussanne/Marsanne/Viognier blend from Australia to whet the palate for the lunch to come. I have traditionally been a fan of Torbreck's wines. They are a controlled version of what Australia has to offer. Don't let the crazy Robert Parker scores fool you. The wines actually have balance, while still showing decidedly Australian character. This was no exception. Beautiful stone fruit nose with florality. On the palate, not overbearing or heavy at all, as one might expect. A delicious aperitif and summer wine.
The lunch was very good. It's always a challenge to serve a full dining room of people at the same time. Some of the food did not come out better than luke warm, but it only entices me to come back when they are serving on their normal rotation. The ingredients were creative and well-connected. The octopus paired wonderfully with a Tandem Chardonnay, as did a squid ink pasta. The boiled chicken was cooked perfectly to match the older vintages of Torbreck Run Rig and Struie, both 2001. They showed fabulously! The younger vintages of 2006 Struie and Run Rig were, of course, paired to some hearty red meat.
Run Rig, in particular the 1997, was one one of those wines that stopped me in my tracks and changed the way I thought about wine. When Kara and I closed on our first house, we opened the 2001 Run Rig to celebrate. It was a wonderful opportunity to check in with it again at the event, having added two and a half years of evolution. She's aging beautifully. Copious amount of ripe fruits, herbs, cracked pepper. It's a big one and I will most likely not open the last bottle I have of the 2001 for another decade. I'd like to see its long-term aging potential.
After lunch, we moved into a private dining area to preview the new La Follette line of wines due to release this fall. Three Chardonnays and four Pinot Noirs from Sonoma. I did not take detailed notes, but I am happy to recap their styles, which were all very unique and decidedly different. All vintages were 2008:
The Lorenzo Vineyard Chardonnay was typically oaked for the California palate. While not a butter-bomb, it definitely speaks to the New World craving for woody flavors. The first thing I asked Greg was how much new oak he used. 60% new and the most oak he used on the three whites. The Sangiacomo Chardonnay was nothing short of spectacular. Ripe fruits, well-integrated oak, and seamlessly constructed. Truly sexy California Chardonnay that gives one hope for the wines we could be creating here. The Manchester Ridge Chardonnay was also good, but my recollection of it fell flat after the Sangiacomo.
The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, a blend of the three single vineyards, represents a good value. Meant to showcase the best elements of the more expensive stuff, Greg puts more effort into this one since, for many, it will be their introduction to the brand. It showed green notes on the nose that are surprising at first, but when meeting the ripe red fruits on the palate, only serve to add complexity and interest to the overall experience of the wine. The Sangiacomo Pinot, from one of the coolest (and I mean coldest) vineyards in Sonoma, was pure elegance. Light-bodied and caressing the palate, it showed subtlety and was the most expressively fruity wine on the table - a real crowd pleaser! The Van der Kamp Pinot was my least favorite because of a very strong herbal tone on the finish that reminded me of the inside of a garden hose. It had a stronger spice element as well. While a good wine, for my taste, the character that it represented was not my favorite. The wine that grew on me as I continued to retaste it was the Manchester Ridge. At one point, Evan leaned over to me and said, "It tasted like Nuits-St.-George". He was right, but that's why he's an M.S. For many, this will be a hated style of California Pinot. It is the anti-Sea Smoke. Very bracing acidity, green herbs, high-toned raspberry, meatiness. It's definitely the wine geeks Pinot out of Sonoma and very much the opposite of the Sangiacomo.
The line of wines was very impressive and offered such a wide and refreshing variety of style. Greg offered us a wealth of information and passion in his unassuming, George W. Bush-like demeanor. I wish I had recorded his words on the texture of Pinot Noir. I felt as though I had been transported into a better version of the movie Sideways.
Please seek these wines out if you find the opportunity. They are well worth trying and when you know how much effort and passion goes into the construction of them, you can't help but want to experience them.
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