The wine world in California — and Sonoma County in particular — is a close-knit community. It tends to be a bit like pulling on the thread of a sweater. The more you tug on one connection, the more you find it’s related to the fabric of the entire garment. And so it was with meeting the winemaker from Sonoma’s Blackstone Winery, Gary Sitton.
Gary has spent his entire winemaking career in Sonoma. In one small world coincidence, his last job was making wine with Joel Peterson, the head winemaker and founder of Ravenswood Winery — the subject of my column several weeks ago. Before that, Sitton worked at Sommer Vineyards, whose wines I covered in a previous column.
During both of these jobs, Gary developed a deep appreciation for “all things Sonoma,” including the diverse mirco-climates of each appellation. Since Gary’s winemaking philosophy revolves around the fundamental belief that making quality wine begins in the vineyards, he has devoted much of his time to “cultivating” deep relationships with quality vineyard owners and growers throughout Sonoma County. By selecting fruit that accurately expresses the unique characteristics of specific vineyards and appellations, Gary is able to take full advantage of the “spice rack” of flavors and aromas that Sonoma has to offer.
Gary genuinely believes that, “Sonoma County is one of the most fabulous places in the world to live and make wine. There’s no place like it. The immense diversity — from the coastline to the mountains, valleys and rivers … leaves me in awe … and is fundamental to making beautifully expressive wines from Sonoma County.”
Armed with a Masters degree in Enology and Viticulture from University of California, Davis, and his unyielding devotion to the region, Gary launched the Sonoma Reserve series at Blackstone. Known in the wine community as a mass-market producer, Blackstone wanted to develop a value oriented quality reserve wine. And Gary, with his passion for Sonoma fruit, was just the guy for the job. He set up shop at the company’s home winery in Kenwood, located in the center of Sonoma, in order to quickly receive the best fruit from the valleys, mountains and costal appellations after harvest.
With the inaugural 2005 vintage, Gary was able to successfully take advantage of Blackstone’s extensive connections in order to produce regionally expressive, beautifully balanced wines that provide exceptional value. Here are the notes on several wines from the upcoming 2006 vintage that will be available in our market in the fall. Retail prices are approximate and subject to change.
2006 Blackstone Reserve Chardonnay, Sonoma, Calif. ($16)
This is one of the best domestic sub-$20 chardonnay wines I have had. Barrel fermented and aged 12 months in French oak (25 percent new) on the lees, this wine possesses aromas of pear, green melon and lemon oil. Partial malolactic fermentation provides a slightly tart, slightly creamy base for the apple, peach and pear flavors, which remain fresh across the entire palate. Hints of creamy vanilla and butterscotch build on the medium finish and would compliment pan-seared halibut.
2006 Blackstone Reserve Merlot, Sonoma, Calif. ($16)
Gary uses a variety of oak to bring out the best characteristics of the varietal. The wine was aged in a combination of French (60 percent) oak and equal parts Hungarian and American oak and boasts a lovely bouquet of rich plum, sweet currant and black pepper. The spicy frame features layered flavors of ripe plum, black cherry, tobacco, cedar and vanilla. Notes of melted chocolate and spicy pepper glide in on the lush finish. My new favorite pizza wine.
2006 Blackstone Reserve Pinot Noir, Sonoma, Calif. ($19)
Another great buy, this pinot noir has a wonderful texture in the mouth. Barrel aged in French oak for 16 months, it retains a lovely freshness. Scents of raspberry and strawberry dominate the nose. A blend of fruit provides flavors of red cherry (Carneros), and dark plum (Russian River) are kept in check by bright acidity (Sonoma Coast). Spicy notes of red currant – thanks to a touch of syrah – and mint appear on the tail end of the soft, elegant finish. Perfect with pork.
2006 Blackstone Reserve “Rubric”, Sonoma, Calif. ($19)
Rubric has several meanings, including “formula” and “red.” But there is nothing formulaic about this big red wine. Designed to showcase the best of Sonoma fruit, Gary carefully selects the regions, vineyards and blocks he liked best each vintage to make a unique red blend. This year, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petite verdot, syrah, cabernet franc, petite sirah and tannat were used to produce a rich and powerful wine. Scents of jammy blackberry, cassis, cedar and coffee soar out of the fragrant bouquet. Juicy blackberry, black cherry, mocha and vanilla sashay across the tongue on a silky smooth body while hints of melted licorice (an ode to Dry Creek Valley fruit) appear on the lingering finish. Saddle up a rack of lamb.
