VineBuzz

Having overnighted in Healdsburg, California

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7/16/2010 after the Sonoma #FB Wine meetup, it was time to explore. Though our local Healdsburg friends recommended more of the Dry Creek Valley, (our meetup was at Michel-Schlumberger, a completely organic estate in the Wine Creek Canyon section of Dry Creek), Lupe and I sought to find the Rockpile AVA. Miraculously, we stumbled into the sustainably-farmed Gustafson Family Vineyards at an 1800-foot elevation overlooking Lake Sonoma,

on a backroad heading toward Point Skaggs on the coast.

Sean, their extraordinarily knowledgeable tasting room associate de jour, was in charge of the whole estate for the day (only open to the public on Saturdays). We were the only visitors present. This afforded a quiet and careful inspection of 5 fine wines, over which we sat transfixed at the tasting bar for an hour, swept up in exotic aromas, our faces buried in complex nuances. While couples may disagree on all matters of taste, we came together on the selection of the 2008 Zinfandel Mountain Cuvee. It's a remarkable bargain at $18. Sean explained that while the label showed that Dry Creek Valley was the AVA, some DCV vineyards took exception to allowing the Gustafson Family Vineyard into the designation, given their extraordinary elevation, unique micro-climates, soil chemistry, slope, and overall terroir. Who could imagine why someone in DCV wouldn't want the prestige of this excellent peer sharing their appellation and conveying that much more prestige to one of the most reputable wine-producing districts anywhere in Sonoma County? There's no predicting foolish behaviors.

The topology of the Gustafson Family Vineyard is one of the most complex and steeply-sloped at any elevation in the county. I had hoped to capture for you a better view of the terrain, but this block map of the estate should suffice temporarily.
We're of the opinion that Gustafson deserves their own AVA.
Exploring the grounds, we delighted to find butterflys slurping on lavender nectar, especially after detecting hints of lavender in the Zinfandel 2008. With less than 10 percent of the acreage dedicated to wine grape cultivation, it was a sincere pleasure to see that the estate was so handsomely architected as a winery, cellar, and family home.