Shasta Wines Map
We started our tasting with the Chenin Blanc; a crisp wine with great citrus fruit and a slight minerality on the nose. The dry, slightly perfumed, aromatic wine gives the impression of being off-dry due to the bright fruitiness of the finish. The very lightly oaked Chardonnay has flavors of ripe apples and pears with a fairly long fruit and baking spice finish. Next we tried the Petite Sirah – both the 2003 and 2004 vintages. These wines helped us understand why this is considered to be one of the best varietals in the region. The 2003 was really something special with a nose that was all about big black fruit and that intense spiciness that is so prominent in a good Petite Sirah. The glass had the most incredible purple coloring left on the sides when the wine was gone attesting to the intensity of color in the wine. The finish was long with nice round tannins, bright fruit and black pepper; a wine definitely worth trying.
Next we moved on to the wines of Carvalho, another long standing Clarksburg family that has been in the region for several generations. We started the tasting with a Clarksburg Pinot Noir. The attack was one of red cherries, cranberries and pepper. This was a clean wine that had a good structure of acid with just a bit of tannin from the oak aging. Next came the Tempranillo with a bit of a rustic nose and a pleasant cherry and chocolate finish. Last of the reds was their fairly big Petite Sirah which started with a ripe red fruit attack that moved to cooking spices, leather and smokiness in the mid palate and finish. We moved into the dessert wines starting with a Late Harvest Chenin Blanc. This had wonderful floral aromatics, followed by ripe apples and pears and finishing with honey and vanilla. This would pair nicely with a baked apple pie. Last was a well balanced tawny port style wine that had the classic fig and caramel nose and not overly sweet finish one hopes for in a nice port wine. The finish was a follow through of the initial fruit and then flowed to baked pie and caramel. Don’t miss trying it if you get the chance. We purchased a little Stilton Blue Cheese on the way home and gave it a try with the tawny. The salty creaminess of the cheese and the satany body and sweetness of the port went very well together and brought out the best in each other. A real classic.
Next on our list was the largest winery in the area, Bogle. We returned to River Road and headed south through the acres and acres of vineyards about a mile and a half to County Road 141. Watch carefully for the sign, it is easy to miss. Follow the road about 1 mile to Road 144 where the road narrows to about 1 ½ lanes on top of the levy, so drive carefully. After almost a mile you will see the winery on the left. Again, watch closely for the sign to the driveway after the sharp left turn in the road so you don’t drive beyond it.
The Bogle family has been farming in the area since the mid 1800s and planted their first vineyard in 1968. It took another 10 years before they began making their own wines which has grown to a production of 500,000 cases of wine per year. The tasting room is situated at the east side of Elk Slough on Merritt Island, an AVA all unto itself marked by rich loamy soils. Surrounded by vineyards on three sides and the levy road on the other, the winery grounds come complete with beautifully maintained lawns and scenic picnic area that just screams for a bottle of wine and lunch. Inside the tasting room you will find even better views of the vineyards from the floor to ceiling windows that create a bright and inviting atmosphere in the medium sized tasting room. Continued ...
