Sonoma Coast Wineries: Keller Estate
We moved to Sonoma with one goal in mind: to become the ultimate wine hipsters. Well, two goals: to become the ultimate wine hipsters AND drink a ton of wine from the best wineries in Sonoma. And eat a lot of good food. Fine, we have a lot of goals. Enough about our goals. We’re scouring Sonoma County for the best little known, small run wineries we can find in order to achieve the greatest virtue of hipsterdom: telling you all about the really cool places we love that you've never heard of. We’re doing this for you. Trust us.
On a visit to Petaluma in March we asked for wine tasting recommendations. We were told by several people we had to check out Keller Estate. Especially their olive oil. Well, Keller Estate happens to be only minutes away from we’re we now live, so it was one of the first tasting rooms we visited.
First off, the view is fantastic. There’s a bar and some chairs inside the tasting room, right by their wine cave where they hold some events. There’s also tables outside with a great view of the landscape. We snapped a couple of pictures with our phones, but they don’t really do it justice. It was, as is the case almost every single day out here, absolutely gorgeous, so we set up shop at one of those outside tables so we could enjoy the view.
Shaded by an umbrella and gazing out over the valley, with no sound other than the light chatter of other guests, we were totally relaxed. And that was before we started drinking. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and answered questions about the wine, the grounds, the owners, etc., with the kind of aplomb that fills you with confidence.
We started our tasting with a bowl of popcorn and estate olive oil. People were right about the olive oil. It was peppery and fruity. It would be perfect in something like a tossed pasta salad. We wouldn’t want to waste it as a cooking oil. The olive oil’s nice, but do you really care about that? We’re all here for the wine, right?
We tasted a total of 6 estate grown wines. All were good or better, but there were a couple of real standouts. Before we get to that, enjoy the fruits of our amazing iPhone photography skills.
Now that you’re done marveling at our skill with a camera phone, on to our tasting notes:
2013 ‘Ora De Plata’ Chardonnay: This one is aged in stainless steel. Honeydew melon & grapefruit on the nose. Cantaloupe with pink grapefruit & pepper on the tongue. Very subtle and subdued. Definitely easy drinking. You’d be happy to sip this chilled at the end of a warm summer day.
2013 ‘La Cruza’ Chardonnay: Lilies & oak on the nose. Totally normal, right? Well, here’s the twist: blackberries, chocolate and wood on the tongue. Yep, Blackberries and chocolate. Butter on the back pallet and the finish. Just a little bit of pepper as well. This is obviously not what we expected from a Chardonnay, but we love being surprised. This is a very good Chardonnay and a bit of a conversation starter. We’ll make sure to try this one again to see if we taste the same flavors.
2014 Keller Estate Rosé: We might be a bit late to the party, but we’re finally coming around on rosés. It’s made from 100% estate Syrah. Strawberries & watermelon on the nose. Full bodied. Smooth. Strawberries, cranberries and a hint of lemon zest on the finish. A beautiful pink color. We admittedly don’t have a lot of experience with Rosé, but this is our favorite to date. Light and refreshing, with an almost unctuous mouth feel. It’s exactly what we have in our minds when we think of Rosé.
2012 ‘La Cruz’ Pinot Noir: Black cherry, crushed pepper & pencil shavings on the nose. Cherries and blackberries on the tongue with a bit of black pepper and slate on the finish. Noticeable tannins. Dark ruby in color. This is a big and bold red wine. It would be a perfect cookout wine.
2012 ‘El Coro’ Pinot Noir: Blackberries, currants & thyme on the nose. Maybe hints of oregano & pepper too. Blackberry jam & fresh pepper on the tongue, with grapefruit on the finish. Bigger tannins. Would be great with a hearty beef stew or a lamb.
If we remember correctly, the difference between the two Pinots is the blocs they come from. El Coro comes from ahigher elevation bloc than La Cruz. We’d be lying if we said we knew what impact that has on the end product. Both are very good. Neither are particularly unique.
Finally, we rounded out the afternoon with the 2010 Rotie from their wine library. Berries and vanilla on the nose. Blackberry jam, honeydew & tobacco on the tongue. Essence of pepper & chalk on the finish. Medium bodied. Medium tannins.
The takeaway? Keller Estate is worth a visit for the view alone. As a bonus, they make some really good wines. If, like us, you get excited by the unexpected and the uncommon, make sure to try the ‘La Cruza’ Chardonnay. Oh, and ask about the cars. There’s an interesting story about how the winery was founded, but we won’t get into it here.
Keller Estate is in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast AVA. If you're driving up to Petaluma from San Francisco, it's literally ON THE WAY. Don't skip it. You can find more info about Keller Estate at http://www.kellerestate.com/.
