posted 03-10-2011 02:32 PM            

ZAHTILA VINEYARDS - We were met by the two Lab vineyard dogs which made Mrs. Hawkeye feel right at home. We miss our yellow lab and our mixed breed when we are gone so we enjoy a good pat and slobber where ever we can find it. Mike Zahtila met us in the parking lot and warmly welcomed us to their winery. This is one of those small family run wineries that I look for. Mike’s wife, the President and winemaker, was on a trip so we did not get to meet her. They have several wines to taste. We began with the 09 NV Chard which was a first release for them from Carneros fruit. This was fermented and aged in stainless so did not have that oakey/buttery taste that we don’t care for. At $30.00 per bottle, we felt a really good buy. Then we were led to the 07 Dry Creek Zin with nice dark fruit and a smooth finish. But wait, we were then given the 07 Oat Hill Estate Zin which we rated a big WOW with lots of fruit and that Jammy taste that we all seem to like. We then tasted the 07 Calsitoga “Barlow” Vineyard Cab. Lots of fruit with rich, bold tannins, another on our WOW list. The 05 Rutherford Georges III Vineyard Cab was a WOW and it just kept getting better and better but at the $125.00 price point, a little over our budget. We brought home the Oat Hill Zin and the Barlow Vineyard Cab. It just so happened, we were going to Barlow next to taste. This was one of those winery rare finds that makes tasting exciting. A definite MUST do. I think they may have a tasting fee, but was not charged since we made a purchase.

BARLOW VINEYARDS - Another of those small family wineries started with making a wine for family consumption. We were met by Barr Smith, one of the owners. We tasted the 09 Savignon Blanc which was very nicely crisp as you would expect from this wine. Then we tasted the 07 Barrouge which is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc but with enough Cab to be considered a Cab and was nicley structured with a bold body. Again, the cherries and chocolate that Mrs. Hawkeye likes. The 06 Barlow Estate 100% Cab had a luscious fruity palate with strong tannins to carry the richness. The 07 Estate Grown Zin was rich berries and that Jamminess that we seem to like. The Zin and the Barrouge followed us home. The Barrrouge stands for Barr (the owner) red. Another stop you should put on your list if you like the intimate family winery. Again, we made a purchase, so were not charged a tasting fee.

Well, this is the end of our March trip. Now, we look forward to October but in the meantime, we will get to savor the wines from this trip. We will be joined by daylily friends from Kentucky and California for our October trip and we will include several from this trip on the itinerary. We did tip a glass to you all. Cheers.