Untangled Vine

Stop number 2, after getting lost, was Duxoup in Dry Creek. With what will always be one of the most memorable winery visits I will ever have, we were introduced to Andy & Deborah Cutter. Want to hear unique? Duxoup leads with Charbono. I can say, especially after tasting Coturri’s practically rancid version yesterday (Not to rant, but with anywhere from 2-10% Residual Sugar, the whole “naturalistic approach to winemaking is lost on me when wine itself is just a pit stop on the way to the natural progression towards vinegar.), that this is the best Charbono I’ve ever tasted. Ok, it’s a bit of a geek thing, but this wine is fantastic. One of the latest ripening varietals in Napa, they usually harvest around Thanksgiving, and end up with 12% alcohol. Great balance and fresh fruit elevate this from a curiosity to a world class wine. We also tasted an excellent Sangiovese & Syrah. The highlight was the handmade home they live in as well as the hand made gravity flow winery. Did I mention they have a thing for Sumo Wrestlers, seriously. The name Duxoup, comes for the French phonetic spelling of the word Duck Soup, which is what they named their home as they were building it by hand over the course of several years.

Labels: Napa Sonoma Trip Day 3-Part 2

So if I took this trip 3 months ago, why am I still writing about it, and just now getting to it? Well, I’ve been really busy, but this blog is the telltale heart of personal journals, so without waxing poetic about my exploits, I feel like it didn’t really happen. Wow, blogs have really improved the quality of my life. But here it is, the dramatic conclusion to my 3 days in Napa and Sonoma, the third day-Sonoma.

We had many stops during this beautiful day in Sonoma, the first was Eris Ross in Glen Ellen. Eric Ross is dedicated to making amazing Zins and Pinot from mostly the Russian River. Their Pinots have an incredible Old-World quality that is most certainly age-worthy, and their Zins are likewise age-worthy, with great vibrant acidity. They source from some incredible vineyards such as Saralee’s and Occidental. These are cerebral wines that have a unique feel. The story behind this winery is interesting as well. 2 old friends, Eric Luse and John Ross Storey, former acclaimed photographers from San Francisco daily newspapers, and longtime epicureans, decided to get into the wine business.