Two weeks ago, Mike Dunne, the Sacramento Bee’s retired food and wine writer, wrote a lengthy feature piece on Amador County’s Jeff Runquist Winery. Although I’ve driven past the Runquist Winery many times, I never stopped in and evaluated their wines. It always seemed that, by the time I drove past the place, I was maxxed out purchasing wine and just couldn’t expose myself to the temptation of buying more wine to add to the cases already sitting on my back seat. But, after reading Dunne’s piece, I decided that I finally had to visit the place and decide for myself whether there was anything to his very favorable assessment of Runquist’s wines. Last week, on hot and sunny Sunday afternoon, I trekked out to the Shenandoah Valley and dropped in at Jeff Runquist Winery. I was glad that I did. Dunne got it right.
The place, which is pictured above, is pretty Spartan. There are no lawns or landscaped picnic areas, just a simple wooden winery building which is fronted by a reasonably large, airy tasting room. The tasting room lacks the typical winery bric-a-brac sold at almost every other winery in California. You won’t find simulated Italian ceramics (made in China) festooned with grapevine designs, olive oil bottles, or designer cork pullers. The tasting room consists of simple wooden panelling and large, simple tasting bar. When I arrived, a tour bus had just unloaded a group of senior citizens, who crowded the tasting bar. I was able to elbow my way to the counter and review the tasting list. They were pouring their 2006 “R” Cabernet sauvignon, 2007 “Z”Zinfandel, 2007 “R” Petite sirah, and 2007 “R” Syrah. Despite the crowd, I was able to evaluate the wines without feeling rushed or pressured by the tasting room staff. It is also a good sign that, when I asked for a cup to spit during my tasting, the attendant quickly produced a spit cup without giving me a second look. (In some tasting rooms, the tasting bar staff members look askance when you ask for a spit cup–like it’s some sort of inconvenience.)
Each wine in the tasting flight was excellent, although I particularly enjoyed the Zinfandel and Petite sirah. The 2007 “Z” Zinfandel is a local vintage, using single vineyard grapes from the Prohibition-era Massoni Vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley. This is a lush, full-bodied wine with layers of dark fruit, blackberry, and plum in the nose and palate, finished with light notes of vanilla and oak. At $24, it is a decent value for a wine of its thoughtful complexity. The 2007 “R”Petite sirah, which is made from grapes sourced from a single vineyard in the Sacramento River Delta, was an unusually inky, full-bodied Petite sirah of notable complexity and a long, luscious finish. With the strong aroma of blackberries and raspberries in the nose and palate, these juicy dark fruit flavors are lightly seasoned with a nice touch of oak that does not overwhelm. Delightfully well-balanced, the finish lingers for notably time on the palate.
Dunne called this one right. Jeff Runquist Winery is a “must” on any Amador Valley wine excursion. In fact, if you’re savvy, you’ll get out there soon and get whatever is left of the Petite sirah, which, because they made only 1,700 cases and won numerous accolades at the State Fair, is not going to last for long.
No comments:
Post a Comment