Michael and Mary Colhoun (above) are obviously delighted with their success, as well they should be. I visited with them a few weeks ago, on the first day of crush for them. We tasted from tank and barrel, then sat in their conference room and tasted a few bottles.

From barrel:

The Damaris Reserve is a blended wine from a total of five sources - three Russian River, one Santa Barbara, and one Sonoma.

1999 Chardonnay Damaris Reserve - Cottonwood Canyon Santa Barbara County - lovely bronze color - hints of butter with pretty green apple and Comice pear aromatics - very smooth and pleasant in the mouth - the fruit is a little less forward than the nose would promise, but this sample is from a brand new barrel. 

Then a sample of the same vineyard from a one year old barrel - and it's easy to see the lovely balance of this wine - the acids are a little less firm, the oak not at all obtrusive - the fruit flavors are nicely balanced, and the wine has a smooth and lingering palate presence.

1999 Chardonnay Lorenzo Vineyard - initial aromatics of butterscotch and minerals - wonderfully balanced in the mouth with mineral notes, flowers and hints of tropical fruit - smooth and generous mouthfeel - a beautiful, beautiful wine.

From bottle:

All of these Chardonnays from bottle have a lovely golden hue.

1999 Overlook Chardonnay - fall release - just a hint of sulfur on the nose of this bottle - I'm sure it will fade away with a little time - wonderfully rich and smooth texture in the mouth - nicely representative Chardonnay fruit - 

1998 Damaris Reserve - elegant, honeyed, but restrained aromatics - very harmonious on the palate - smooth and mouth filling with a delicious sweetness from ripe fruit - clean finish.

1998 Lorenzo - again, beautiful golden hue - aromatically, not unlike the Damaris - somewhat restrained, lightly honeyed with hints of butterscotch - pretty Chardonnay fruit in the nose - excellent balance on the palate - clean and concentrated fruit well framed with unobtrusive oak - harmonious, smooth and rich on the palate - reminiscent of the monumental wines produced from the same source by Marcassin. Easily one of the better Chardonnays I have tasted in the last several years. 

1998 Pinot Noir Kastania Vineyard - although part of the Sonoma Coast AVA, the vineyard is located in Petaluma, a stone's throw from Highway 101. From a bottle opened yesterday - very pretty, ripe and true aromatics - sweet and lovely in the mouth with good acid structure and a hint of not unpleasant bitterness on the finish..

Second taste from a new bottle. Second sample has all that the first sample had plus a hint of earthiness and lovely aromatic nuances of culinary herbs - almost garrigue-like - very pleasant in the mouth, showing additional intensity and rounder flavors and a more complete texture. A very promising wine from a very young vineyard. 

1998 Pinot Noir Grand Detour Van der Kamp Vineyard Sonoma Mountain - typical aromatic profile from this distinctive property - sweet Pinot fruit aromatics with nuances of smoke, game meats and tomato - deliciously sweet in the mouth with a palate coating flavor presence - well balanced and expressive with a long finish - a very nice effort. 

And there is even more excitement on the horizon - a new 10-acre Syrah vineyard near the top of Sonoma Mountain that will soon come into production. 

califusa
Left Coast Correspondent for the Gang of Pour

Landmark Vineyards is open daily for sales and tasting.
101 Adobe Canyon Road
Kenwood, CA 95452
707 833 1144
800 452 6365
www.landmarkwine.com


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© Allan Bree October 2000

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