I was recently fortunate enough to join Thea of (http://lusciouslushes.com/) for a vertical tasting of Cartograph Wines (http://www.cartographwines.com/)from Floodgate Vineyard. Before I start, they are having a Perli Vineyard Vertical this Saturday at 1 p.m. If you can make it, it will make your life happy.
I have always enjoyed the idea and practice of comparative tastings. Most that I have enjoyed have been wines made from different producers or of different varietals. Tasting wines from the same vineyard gives tangible insight into the effects a particular growing season on the wines.
Alan and Serena, the owners and winemakers at Cartograph, hosted the tasting and were able to give us unique insights into the vineyard. The great strength of Cartograph is that Alan and Serena KNOW the vineyards they work with intimately. They are out in the vineyard harvesting and checking on the vineyards throughout the year.
The tasting was informal, educational, and quite interesting. It began with their 2012 Floodgate Gewurztraminer. This wine is bi-polar in the BEST possible way. It has bright flavors and amazing acidity yet has an incredibly lush mouth feel. Due to it being very well balanced and interesting, this is one of those wines that connoisseurs will love as well as those new to wine.
The bulk of the tasting was focused on the Pinot Noirs that are produced from the Floodgate Vineyard. We tasted the 2009 through the 2012 vintages. I was highly impressed the presentation given by Alan and Serena. As they spoke about the vineyard they scrolled though pictures showcasing the unique aspects of the property.
The Floodgate Vineyard is located in the Russian River Valley and was formerly known as the Mark West Vineyard. The vineyard was recently sold so that name will be changing again soon. Alan and Serena seem very happy with the new owners who are focused more on the quality of the fruit than the quantity. As a wine consumer first, this is music to my ears!
We began with the 2009 Floodgate Pinot Noir. This was the inaugural vintage for Cartograph with this vineyard and I was highly impressed by the wine. Some winemakers seem to have a “courting period” when working with new vineyards and it takes them time to establish an understanding of the fruit. It seems that Cartograph and Floodgate skipped the courting period! Winery/Vineyard soul mates? I think so!
There were only 221 cases of this delicious wine produced and it is just starting to develop that dinstinctive “Pinot Funk” that I love. The nose had spicy cedar and a slight hint of menthol. The initial flavors of Black Raspberry and Black Cherry changed into subtle hints of loam and earth on the finish. There is still plenty of acid on this wine so can certainly be laid down. This wine reminds me of Audrey Hepburn. Sophisticated, classic, and timeless.
We moved on to the 2010, which was a very difficult vintage. These vintages separate the good from the great. Alan and Serena dropped 50% of the fruit and only produced 196 cases. They made three passes through the vineyard dropping fruit. This wine seemed a little shy to me. All of the flavors were nice and it was nicely balanced, just very subtle. I felt like the wine was in transition and some of the deeper and darker fruits were starting to showcase beyond the brighter fruit. I have a feeling that this still shy wine will blossom into a gorgeous treat in a year or two.
The 2011 vintage was reminiscent of the 2009 although it hadn’t developed the “Pinot Funk” yet. There was a small hint of smoke on the nose as well as loamy earth and violets. This wine had the perfect balance of fruit and acid. You could have this wine now or five years from now. If you are looking for an incredible Pinot Noir with near perfect balance, look no further! This is the wine that I bought with Thanksgiving in mind and it showcased beautifully. This wine was so enticing I drove it with me when I left California and kept telling her how delicious she was (When you drive 2,300 miles alone you DO start talking to your wine). They made 220 cases of this very special wine.
HELLO LADY! The 2012 vintage is curvy and luscious! While the 2009 is Audrey Hepburn, this vintage is Marilyn Monroe. Despite an early pick, this vintage was harvested with higher brix than the other vintages. Harvesting early was a great call on Alan and Serena’s part because it saved the acidity that is crucial to a great Pinot Noir. “The Flood gate Pinot Noir is that gal with a big smile whose quick to laugh and always has a sparkle in her eye.” This was on Cartograph’s tasting notes. They neglected to tell you the sparkle she’ll add to your eye!
The experience I had at this tasting made me a new fan and ambassador for Cartograph Wines. Each wine that I tasted was incredible and a great value. The prices for the Pinots ranged from $44-$50 a bottle and you get double the value for the price. These wines are obvious proof of passionate winemakers and owners who work tirelessly to produce outstanding wines. I signed up as a Wine Club Member and feel Cartograph is one of those wineries that I am lucky to know about and enjoy.
Cartograph Wines:
Location: 340 Center St., Healdsburg, CA (half a block north of the main plaza)
Hours: 12pm – 6:30pm daily (closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day)
Telephone: 707.433.8270
Purveyor Of Happiness 