Past Issues:
Robyn's Picks, jun/jul 2004 --
Yorkville Highlands
Yorkville Highlands is a young
appellation - just six years old, part of
Mendocino and nestled in the hills between
the Alexander Valley and the Anderson Valley
on Highway 128. With less than 20 wines
made from Yorkville Highlands grapes, and
in small quantities to boot, this California
nook is starting to make a name for itself
as an award-winning area.
The Yorkville Highlands AVA (American Viticultural
Area) consists of approximately 40,000 acres
within Mendocino County. The majority of
the appellation lies between 800 and 1900
feet, in a continuous series of high benches
and troughs, bordered by higher ridges.
Approximately 3050 acres of grapes are planted
in the appellation. And while the majority
of vineyard acreage in Mendocino County
is devoted to Chardonnay, Yorkville Highlands
is 85% red varietals, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon.
Learn more at www.yorkvillehighlands.org.
We recently had the opportunity to taste
a dozen of the wines from the region - here
are our tasting notes!
($15). Lemon,
grapefruit and mineral aromas and flavors,
with a creamy, hazelnut finish supported
by persistent underlying acidity. Good value
and a nice change of pace for Sauvignon
Blanc drinkers. Ready to drink now.
($17). Focused lemon peel, grapefruit, fresh
clover from beginning to end. Refreshing,
with clean, balanced, classic varietal character.
Ready to drink now.
($25). Attractive lemon peel and spice accents
on bouquet. Creamy, musky honeydew and tropical
citrus flavors. Creamy finish with underlying
minerality completes an overall elegant
wine. Very nice. Ready to drink now.
($28). Loads of pear
and juicy ripe fruit flavors and aromas
stay elegant and focused through finish.
Pear and more pear! Ready to drink now.
($18). Slurpable, with ripe red cherry and
wild blueberry, picking up cedar notes on
the finish. Manages to maintain a refined
note - very nice all around. (Great barbecue
wine!) Ready to drink now.
($N/A). Light sweet
red cherry fruit and eucalyptus aromas and
flavors, with lots of milk chocolate and
cherry cola notes. Appealing. Ready to drink
now.
($28). Powerful bouquet includes
blackberry jam and roasted coffee notes.
Palate is softer and lighter than nose,
with moderate black cherry and berry fruit
along with touches of milk chocolate and
light spices. Ready to drink now.
($18). Red berry fruit
flavors laced with aromas reminiscent of
peppermint life savers. Rather reedy and
thin. Not a tasting favorite.
($28). Rich,
spicy bouquet introduces deep red fruit,
warm spices, a dash of sweet vanilla and
smoky herbs. Finishes shorter than expected,
but a tasty package. Ready to drink now.
($18). Aromatic red berry
and violet bouquet. Young, tart raspberry
dominates palate with shadings of toasted
almond and sweet vanilla. Ready to drink
now and over the next 2-3 years.
($36). Rich, substantial
aromas of chocolate, cigar box and cedar-laced
red fruit. Bouquet promises more than the
moderate red fruit and spices on the palate,
finishing a bit short. Still an overall
appealing wine. Ready to drink now and over
the next couple of years.
($34,
375 ml). Fabulous nose is rich and honeyed.
Palate offers very good acidity underlying
beautiful fig and apricot fruit, with a
long lingering finish. Loved it! Ready to
drink now and over the next 4-5 years.
Robyn Tinsley is the managing editor
of the Wine Skinny.
You can email her at editor@wineskinny.com.
For previous editions of Robyn's Picks -
click here.
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