Ah, the New World!
I've just received box of wines from this winery and since my wine studies have been so Old World focused, always delighted to receive California wines. Here are some tasting notes.
Frei Brothers Reserve Merlot 2007 Dry Creek Valley
Smooth and rich, with rounded flavors of plums ripening in the sun. Very balanced acid and tannin, with the ripe, rich fruit showing through with every sip. A hint of vanilla from barrel aging.
From the web site, I learn the winemaker's goal is to produce a wine that represents the Dry Creek Valley terroir. The grapes are de-stemmed, but not crushed to retain a significant portion of whole berries for fermentation so as to produce more concentrated dark fruit flavors. After fermentation, 100% of the wine completes malolactic fermentation to soften the acids and add complexity.
Frei Brothers Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2006
Dream cab (my expression) though from very ripe vintage. Intense flavors -- blackcurrants, blackberries, spice, vanilla, graphite, mocha, and a hint of mint. Excellent concentration of flavors and comlexity, especially for the price. Pair with steak.
On the web, winemaker says that what typifies the Alexander Valley appellation is its "endless sun drenched days," which contribute to creating the region's signature concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon style. If you are a wine geek, you may be interested to know that "the 2007 growing season began with a dry spring that brought about early budbreak. The mild weather throughout the summer months combined with cool nights resulted in a smaller fruit set than usual. However, a heat wave in early September that lasted almost two weeks ripened grapes quickly. Temperatures cooled down in mid September and set a good pace for the rest of harvest. By the end of harvest, the 2007 wine grape crop was much smaller than in previous years but the quality was exceptional."
"The grapes for our Cabernet Sauvignon were gently destemmed but not crushed, sending a significant number of whole berries to be fermented. The must received 8-10 days of skin contact to extract intense color and flavor before it was inoculated with D254 and Bordeaux yeast strains for primary fermentation. Upright and horizontal rotary fermentors and cone sweep tanks were used to gently mix a portion of the juice and skins to prevent tannic bitterness. Temperatures were closely monitored and kept at approximately 85º during fermentation to yield a richer, rounder mouthfeel and body. After primary fermentation, the wine completed malolactic fermentation to soften the acid structure and to add complexity."
And yes, if you read my first paragraph, I thought the wine was really well made.
Frei Brothes Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2007
I had a craving for Sauvignon Blanc (SB) so I opened the 2007 Russian River Valley first. In a blind tasting, I feel fairly certain I could pick this out as a new world SB -- it has an initial 'old world' feeling in terms of the minerals and softer fruit and acidity, yet the higher alcohol is here at 13.5. People who find zesty New Zealand style wines too jarring will prefer this softer style, with a floral nose and ripe fruit.
I read on the web site the Sauvignon Blanc grapes are whole cluster pressed to eliminate bitterness and to maximize fresh fruit characters. Half of these grapes are oak aged in prior-used French barrels for 2 months to impart very subtle oak flavors. During this same time, the wine undergoes sur-lie aging to add a layer of complexity.
Syrah Reserve 2007
Very good - rich and powerful. The nose is intense with spice and ripe red fruit. The palate is filled with jammy red fruit, spice, and vanilla - a very good integration of flavors. Very smooth and concentrated.
According to the winemaker: "The signature cooling maritime influences of the Russian River Valley serve to balance its warm days with cool refreshing evenings and fog cloaked mornings. This unique microclimate allows for the slow and even maturation of fruit, developing distinct flavors in our wines which reflect this great Sonoma terroir. The summer of 2007 was dry, with no rain to threaten rot or mildew. In addition, the classic Russian River Valley morning fog made a frequent appearance but burned off in the early afternoon. This gave the grapes the best of both worlds: warm sunshine to develop ripe flavors and cool temperatures to maintain acidity in the fruit. The 2007 weather closely mirrored the historical averages of temperatures for the region. These averages were notable because there were no major heat spells or cold snaps, just steady, cool-climate temperatures that create a perfect environment for growing world-class Syrah grapes.
Final thoughts from Marisa
I really liked all the wines in the line ... they are very good value for the money and are quite delicious. I also think it is helpful when the winemaker cares enough to provide extensive notes about the growing season and vinification.
Salute!
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