Tasting Report: Matanzas Creek Winery and Roessler Cellars 2012
Roessler has become a bit of a regular stop for me whenever I’m in Sonoma’s lovely town square, and recently we dropped by to see what was new. Turns out, lots: The winery is launching a new label called WALT, and we stumbled in just a week before the wines were going to be released.
We also traveled up toward Santa Rosa to check out what was new at Matanzas Creek, long fabled for its Merlot but on this visit more memorable for the release party it was having (complete with free mini-massages).
Thoughts on all wines tasted follow.
2008 Roessler Cellars Pinot Noir Commemorativo Santa Lucia Highlands / $36 / B+ / dried herb nose, lighter body
2009 Roessler Cellars Chardonnay “Big Bend” Estate Carneros / $32 / B / tropical fruit, mild finish
2009 Roessler Cellars Pinot Noir “Red Label” Sonoma County / $32 / A- / easygoing, brambles on the finish
2008 Roessler Cellars Pinot Noir “Gran Moraine” Willamette Valley / $48 / B+ / tart, cranberries
2009 Roessler Cellars Pinot Noir “Clos Pepe” Santa Rita Hills / $54 / A- / deeper cherry character, spicy
2007 Roessler Cellars Pinot Noir “Ridges” Estate Sonoma Coast / $60 / B+ / huge perfume, blackberries, menthol, earthy and big
2011 Matanzas Creek Winery Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County / B- /
2008 Matanzas Creek Winery Chardonnay Sonoma County / A- / very buttery
2008 Matanzas Creek Winery Pinot Noir Bennett Valley / B+ / chocolate, lavender, light body
2007 Matanzas Creek Winery Merlot Bennett Valley / B / lots of tannin, tougher
2006 Matanzas Creek Winery Syrah Sonoma County / B- / not great balance