Hey Drinkhacker fans! Sorry for the long absence, but rest assured we’ve not been sleeping on the job. We’ve been drinking — wine, and plenty of it.

This week saw 2009’s Family Winemakers of California event, billed as the biggest wine event in the world and, as I noted last year, that’s not a boast. Fortunately the crowds were sparser this year, but there was just as much wine being poured. I tried 38 bottles — mostly pinot noir, just because I was in that kind of a mood — out of what was likely more than 1000 different wines being poured.

My favorite? Arguably newcomer Wedell Cellars, which had two outstanding pinots and which I’d never heard of before. (I also got a dirty look for going “out of order” on the wines… but in a madhouse like this, what can you do?)

Also greatly enjoyed just about everything Calera was pouring, and was thrilled to try four of Merry Edwards’ single-vineyard Russian River pinots after years of drinking the always-on-the-wine-list Sonoma Coast version.

Full ratings follow. Apologies as always for lack of notes and spelling errors.

Family Winemakers of California 2009 Complete Report

2006 Audelssa Tephra / B
2007 Benovia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast / A-
2007 Benovia Pinot Noir Anderson Valley / B+
2007 Benovia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley / A-
2006 Calera Pinot Noir Mt. Harlan Cuvee / A
2006 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard / A-
2002 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard / A-
1997 Calera Pinot Noir Reed Vineyard / A
2006 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir / A
2007 Cru Winery Montage Central Coast / B
2006 Demetria Cuvee Sandra / A-
2007 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir / A-
2007 Fog Crest Pinot Noir / A-
2006 Hendry Pinot Noir / A-
2005 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon / A
2005 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon / B
1994 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon / B
2005 Laurel Glen Counterpoint / A-
2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Meredith Estate / A
2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Tobias Glen / A
2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Olivet Lane / B
2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Klopp Ranch / A-
2006 O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain / A
2005 Orentano Pinot Noir / B+
2004 Orentano Pinot Noir / B+
2007 Saxon Brown Pinot Noir. Sonoma Coast Parallee-Hill / A
2007 Saxon Brown Pinot Noir. Sonoma Coast Durell Vineyard / B+
2006 Tandem Pinot Noir Van Der Kamp / B+
2007 Tandem Pinot Noir Silver Pines / B+
2006 Tandem Peloton / A-
2006 Tantara Winery Pinot Noir Lindsey’s Vineyard / B+
2007 Tantara Winery Pinot Noir Rio Vista Vineyard / B+
2007 Tantara Winery Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard / A-
2007 Trione Vineyards Pinot Noir / B+
2006 Truchard Merlot / B
2006 Truchard Pinot Noir / B+
2005 Wedell Cellars Pinot Noir Edna Valley / A
2006 Wedell Cellars Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills / A

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