RED:

Occidental Old Vines Zinfandel
Click here to see additional Tasting Notes

The Occidental vineyard is one of the Russian River's truly great sites. Among other wines, it's yielded a Parker 99-point and 98-100 points point Pinot Noir for Kistler. But the original plantings here, in 1937, are zinfandel. And from them, Eric Ross has made one of the finest, most archetypal Russian River zinfandels we've tasted. It's a "big" wine, at 14.4% alcohol (and from yields of less than a ton an acre). But there's the delicacy, length and almost pinot noir-like finesse that only the best Russian River zins can deliver. And a bottle left open for nearly a week showed even better - with a wonderful soft, mouth-filling richness, but still good structure and grip.

This is one of those rare California zinfandels (at least rare these days) that's both delicious on its own, and really versatile with food.

Poule D’Or Pinot Noir
Click here to see additional Tasting Notes
Click here to see a Shelf Talker

Eric Luse and John Ross Storey tasted through all of the Pinot Noir barrels from the 2001 vintage to assemble the blend for this Poulet d'Or. Our 2001 Russian River Valley Poulet d'Or Pinot Noir has a smokey nose with hints of sweet toasty French oak, as well as notes of cola and roast coffee. The mouth has a nice complexity and flavors of bing cherry and rhubarb with mouth coating tannins, and a full rich lingering finish. If you were wondering, Poule d'Or means golden hen in French, clever huh!
 

Saralee Pinot Noir
Click here to see additional Tasting Notes

This wine from the Saralee Vineyard has a nose filled with black cherry and plum with subtle French oak in the background. The mouth has a nice complexity with silky smooth tannins and a soft long finish. The grapes for this Pinot came from Saralee's Vineyard in the Russian River Valley near Forestville. Low yields and a long cool growing season, produced grapes with great complexity and finesse.

Rauser Ranch OV Carignane
Click here to see additional Tasting Notes

2002 marks a new release of the Eric Ross Old Vine Carignane. A smooth rich wine, similar to a Syrah in smell with wonderful fruit that carries through the palate. Blueberries and ripe fruit in the nose and a softness in the mouth that lends itself to many types of food. Grapes for this wine come from the Rauser Ranch vineyard, which is located in Lodi. Rauser Ranch is a 9 acre vineyard that sits next to the Mokolumme River that lends cooling to the vines that date back to their orginal planting in 1907.
 

Struttin’ Red
Click here to see additional Tasting Notes
Click here to see a Shelf Talker

Struttin’ Red is a blend of Old Vine Carignane from Lodi and Petit Verdot from Lake County. The Old Vine Carignane comes from the Rauser Ranch Vineyard in Lodi. The vines were planted in 1907 giving the wine depth and complexity. The Petit Verdot adds structure to this lovely blend of Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. The  garnet colored sparkles in the glass. In the  nose you find bright, spring like flavors, with notes of plum and berry.As you sip Struttn’ Red the flavors beg for a picnic, as it’s juiciness overwhelms the palate. With soft tannins, this robust easy drinking wine is made for barbecue, lamp  chops or even a grilled burger.