Continued from Shadow Ranch Pg 2 ..

So what does all this mean to the wines of Shadow Ranch?  This is what we were about to find out. The day of our visit the winery was pouring four wines for tasting: Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Sauvignon Blanc comes from El Dorado County grapes and is aged 100% in stainless steel. The grapes are allowed to go through malolactic fermentation, which gives the wine a fuller body and a nice roundness, while still maintaining the acidity Sauvignon Blanc is known for, and delivering the citrus, and tree fruit characteristics the varietal promises.

The Zinfandel was delightful, not overripe, but not too tart either. It had a great attack full of raspberries and cassis,

followed by cola, vanilla, and a bit of black cherry. The wine had a mouthfilling texture of cream, that, with the dark cherries, left a wonderful impression as it lingered on the palate.

We were especially anxious to try the Syrah. We had tried it as a barrel sample the previous autumn, and it showed great potential to be a very nice wine. Since this was the grape that had brought Sam to the Fair Play area we wondered if the bottled wine had lived up to its promise. The answer was a definitive ‘yes’. This Syrah is one that lives up to the hype, big and meaty, but with great fruit and a big body. The  long, lingering finish started with a pleasing blueberry fruitiness, and evolved to an earthy minerality and a light smoky toast; a very nice Syrah.

The last wine of the day was the Cabernet Sauvignon, which definitely deserved its position as the last impression the taster has before leaving the winery. The nose was all about that incredible cassis and blackberry you expect from Cabernet, with just a hint of clove. As the wine opened it moved into vanilla and nutmeg followed by a soft cedar toastiness. The satin mouthfeel is full with a soft, dusty tannins and a good hit of acidity. The palate had the same fruit from the nose, but was just slightly tart, making it a nice companion for the vanilla, spice, and sweet cedar toast, followed with just a suggestion of molasses. This is a wine that lingers and lingers on the palate for what seems like minutes. Not surprisingly the wine won a gold medal at the 2008 California State Fair Commercial Wine Tasting. Don't let anyone tell you the Foothills cannot produce Cabernet Sauvignon!

We did have an opportunity to barrel taste the next generation of Shadow Ranch wines, which included Tempranillo, Petite Sirah and Grenache. These were all beautifully balanced wines that very nicely represented their varietal. We anxiously await tasting them when they are finally released. The first vintage from the estate grapes is a year away, and we will be waiting for our chance to give the first estate wines a taste. We are convinced they will be worth the wait!   To Page 1