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Happily Everett after

A 2004 Sonoma/San Francisco travelogue; part 8

by Thor Iverson

[Larry at Everett Ridge]

A boy and his barn
15 August 2004 – Dry Creek Valley, California

Everett Ridge – With some time left before winery tasting rooms close up shop for the day, we decide to do one last drop-in visit. A red barn in a shaded hillside setting encompasses a cramped bar-style tasting room, where a barrage of end-of-weekend gossipy sarcasm from the employees keeps us well-entertained. The wines are variable, but share a certain simplicity and directness; somewhat refreshing in some cases, though one inevitably yearns for more in others.

Everett Ridge 2002 Sauvignon Blanc Powerhouse Vineyard (Mendocino County) – Clean and crisp, showing grapefruit, gooseberry, and ripe pomegranate. Fruity and fresh.

Everett Ridge 2003 Chardonnay (Russian River Valley) – Fig, orange jam, and ripe red apple with good acidity. A nice quaffing chard, easy on the palate without being wifty or fat.

Everett Ridge 2002 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) – Apple, strawberry, raspberry, and citrus peel with a crisp, zingy feel. Very nice, but an early drinker.

Everett Ridge 2001 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley) – 15.3%. There are some fairly unique orange, tangerine, and peach aromas here, along with the more typical plum and boysenberry (the latter taking on a somewhat jammy quality), though there’s also good acidity and a little bit of tannin. Interesting and decidedly different.

Everett Ridge 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Pena Creek Vineyard (Dry Creek Valley) – Black pepper, cherry skin, and a green hue shade this juicy yet firm wine that too-frequently falls into rough hardness. Out of balance, but coming down just barely on the side of drinkability.

Everett Ridge 2001 Syrah Nuns Canyon (Sonoma Valley) – No, I didn’t forget an apostrophe. The wine, however, forgot to have an aroma. There’s leather and smoked blueberry on the palate, but this is awfully ephemeral for a syrah.

Everett Ridge 2001 “Port” (Dry Creek Valley) – 60% zinfandel, 40% cabernet. Smooth, though dirty, cherries tinged with greenness and dusted with cocoa powder; there’s a little light tannin, moderate sweetness, and a frustrating simplicity to this wine. Eh.

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