Pursehouse: ‘I reviewed over 150 wines in March, here are 10 standouts‘

I did a lot of tasting in March that doesn’t really count towards my own tally.

In one instance, I was backing up our Napa Correspondent, Jonathan Cristaldi, at Heitz Cellars, with an epic vertical of about 45 wines, which you’ll hear more about later this year.

I also helped out our Sonoma Correspondent Ana Carolina Quintela on the Sonoma Coast. We tasted about 85 wines in one day with some of the region’s top producers.

For my own reviewing, I just about hit 150 wines in March. There were some real gems in there, mostly from Oregon and Washington, with a few delightful wines from California showing up as well and a single wildcard from Bolgheri from a virtual tasting I took part in.

March is also Washington wine month, and so I attended Taste Washington in Seattle, where I found a few new names that I’ll be seeking out to share with our readers soon.

Scroll down for scores and reviews of Clive’s selection of wines from his March tastings

An epic day in Napa Valley

My afternoon with Carlton McCoy and Jonathan Cristaldi got off to an early and somewhat auspicious start. My 8:25 am flight from Seattle to Sacramento boarded early, despite the sideways rain in Seattle. I was feeling pretty good about my ability to get into the Valley early and maybe even have a few minutes to gather myself. My airline would have other plans.

We waited 40 minutes for the pilot, who was doing who knows what, and then sat on the runway for another 25 minutes even though we were number one for take off. Despite that we landed only 15 minutes late, and it’s a quick jaunt to the rental car counter.

Surprise! They rented me a car with an expired registration, so that tacked on another 20 minutes to my waiting around, but before too long I was on my way.

If you’re lucky enough to ever visit the Heitz estate, it’s like going back in time to a Napa Valley that’s unrecognisable today. The old stone winery, built in 1898 has withstood many an earthquake, but the modern winery has crafted some of Napa’s most historic and undoubtedly elegant wines.

It was an epic tasting, and I don’t want to give anything away because you’ll be able to read all about it later this year in the Decanter print magazine. But, I’ll say it was a once-in-a-lifetime tasting experience.

Pigs and Pinot Noir

The next day, it was straight to work as I met up with my two fellow judges to taste blind through the 61 entries in Charlie Palmer’s Pigs & Pinot event. The wine side of things for this event, is taken care of by the legendary Bob Cabral.

I got to rub elbows with some of my favourite California Pinot people, including Ashley Holland and the inimitable Greg Brewer from Santa Barbara County.

There was fantastic food and wine, and great storytelling, from Tom Rochioli, Michael Browne and Bob Cabral himself, who apparently knows everyone.

Legendary Sonoma Coast

I was fortunate enough to join our Sonoma correspondent on a big tasting of over 80 wines on the Sonoma Coast. We had a great sit down with Ted Lemon at Littorai and Catherine Kistler at Occidental, who continue to craft delicious wines.

The Freeman wines and their beautiful estate continue to impress, as do some rising stars in the region, like Ernest Vineyards and their talented winemaker Joseph Ryan.

A cheeseburger from Graton’s classic stop, the Underwood Bar and Bistro, made the stop complete.

The cool side of Washington

Perhaps my biggest surprise when it comes to wine in over a year came from a fantastic day tasting with some producers from the Puget Sound AVA hosted at Bayernmoor Cellars in Woodinville, Washington.

This appellation is often forgotten as it is a complete departure from the rest of Washington state, with a focus on outside-the-box aromatic whites like Siegerebbe and Iskorka and, more and more, Pinot Noir.

I tasted delightful wines made in the very wet, and most of the year, equally cool region where I live. It was an exercise in open-mindedness for me that paid real dividends, and you’ll read more about it later this month. There were impressive wines made by people with a pioneering spirit right on the climatic edge.

The wine that was a complete shock to the system, which wholly reframed the region for me, came from a tiny producer in Snoqualmie, Washington, a place I associate with hiking and mountain biking called Chateau NoElle.

Its 2018 Revelation Pinot Noir from Devorah Creek Vineyard in the Seattle suburb of Auburn nearly knocked me out of my chair. In an age where terms like ‘awesome’ or ‘iconic’ are often overused, the word ‘revelation’ here is apt.

I took the wine home with me that evening to share with a few friends, and it got better over the course of the evening. It shows, for me, the future of Pinot Noir and perhaps Washington viticulture in this region next to the mighty Puget Sound. Winemaker Tom Wilson and his wife Lorrie are doing amazing things in very unexpected places.

In addition, there was a fantastic Washington state Sauvignon Blanc from Trothe, a great San Luis Obispo Chardonnay and the Gamine wines. They come from one half of Portland’s Division Winemaking Co duo, Kate Norris.

These beautiful Syrahs speak to the old world elegance that many love from the northern reaches of the Rhône Valley; these are worth seeking out for lovers of Syrah that goes beyond fruit and bombast.

You can see all the wines we taste in our Decanter database.

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Clive’s selection of top wines from March

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