Tag: ceritas

Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay With a Burgundian Flair

Today’s Story: Ceritas Wines

Ceritas Wines is a small, family-owned winery spearheaded by husband and wife duo John and Phoebe Raytek. John and Phoebe source their fruit from trusted vintners mainly in the West Sonoma Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains, with all sites practicing sustainable or organic viticulture. John is highly involved in the vineyards they source from, and in many cases the vintners only sell fruit to Ceritas and are labeled “Monopoles.” Considering himself a winemaker of the Old World style, John believes that fruit should lead the way throughout the winemaking process and he is merely there to watch over, listen, and learn about each unique site. In the cellar, John practices minimal intervention but “flexible” winemaking, with the wines meant to showcase with honesty and transparency the terroir of each specific vineyard site.

If this backstory sounds familiar, perhaps you know of Ceritas or perhaps you’ve read my prior reviews of their wines. I previously wrote about the 2017 Porter-Bass Vineyard Pinot Noir, the 2016 Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and most recently the 2016 Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay.

To discover more, such as detailed descriptions of each vineyard site or view the other wines in the Ceritas portfolio, check out their website here.

Today’s Wine: 2017 Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Chardonnay

100% Chardonnay; 13.3% ABV

The 2017 Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Chardonnay is transparent pale gold in color. This took about 45 minutes to really blossom in the glass, with the nose eventually opening up to showcase medium intense aromas of yellow apple, lemon, white peach, honeysuckle, flint, wet stone, dried vanilla, and a hint of smoke. Meanwhile the flavors on the palate are quite pronounced, with notes of crisp yellow apple, white peach, lemon, a touch of pineapple, honeysuckle, dill, flint, and a hint of stony mineral. This dry Chardonnay is medium-bodied with high acidity, medium alcohol, and a long finish.

Price: $65. This is a really, really good bottle from Ceritas again. With time in the bottle this should add extra gorgeous complexities and the acidic backbone should help it hold up as the wine develops. This being said though, I think I’d pay the slightly higher secondary market price for the Trout Gulch Chardonnay (though both Chards released the other week at $59 each on the mailing list). Though a year older, the 2016 Trout Gulch I had not too long ago seems to be in a class of its own and that seems to be the general consensus vintage after vintage.

Lightning in a Bottle

Today’s Story: Ceritas Wines

I previously wrote about Ceritas back in June when I reviewed the 2017 Porter-Bass Vineyard Pinot Noir, and more recently when I reviewed the 2016 Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. As these wines can be hard to come by off the mailing list or in restaurants, I jumped at the opportunity to revisit them again today.

Ceritas Wines is a small, family-owned winery spearheaded by husband and wife duo John and Phoebe Raytek. John and Phoebe source their fruit from trusted vintners mainly in the West Sonoma Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains, with all sites practicing sustainable or organic viticulture. John is highly involved in the vineyards they source from, and in many cases the vintners only sell fruit to Ceritas and are labeled “Monopoles.” Considering himself a winemaker of the Old World style, John believes that fruit should lead the way throughout the winemaking process and he is merely there to watch over, listen, and learn about each unique site. In the cellar, John practices minimal intervention but “flexible” winemaking, with the wines meant to showcase with honesty and transparency the terroir of each specific vineyard site.

Today’s Wine: 2016 Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay

100% Chardonnay; 12.5% ABV

The 2016 Trout Gulch Chardonnay is transparent medium gold/yellow in color with water white variation along the edges of the glass. When I first pulled the cork, I felt like I was in Chassagne or Puligny, however given 30-45 minutes to open up this wine transported me to Chablis and I never wanted to leave. The nose is one that could bring a tear to a glass eye, showcasing aromas of lemon curd, Golden Delicious apple, ripe pear, stone fruit, white wildflower, flint rock, white smoke, shaved vanilla bean, cream, saline solution, and briny mineral. And if you haven’t already, break out the tissues because the palate displays notes of yellow apple, quince, lemon and lime zest, peach, white florals, incense, dill, limestone, wet slate, seashell, saline mineral, and white exotic spice. This is medium-bodied with high acidity (which I’ll touch on in a second), a perfectly rounded mouthfeel, and a long finish of about 1 minute. While a chuggable wine, you would immediately regret “wasting” something so pure if you went that route. Oh and yes, the wine’s acidity demands that I address it alone. Is it racy like a Formula 1 car heading to the finish? Is it like sucking on a mouthful of razor blades? Is it like drinking liquid lightning? Or is it perhaps all of the above? Please, you tell me. But while I wait, at risk of attack, I’ll say this is probably the greatest domestic Chardonnay I’ve ever had.

Price: $80. Just buy it if you get the chance.

Magnificent Old-School Napa Cab

Today’s Story: Ceritas Wines

I previously wrote about Ceritas back in June when I reviewed the 2017 Porter-Bass Vineyard Pinot Noir. As these wines can be hard to come by off the mailing list or in restaurants, I jumped at the opportunity to revisit them again today.

Ceritas Wines is a small, family-owned winery spearheaded by husband and wife duo John and Phoebe Raytek. John and Phoebe source their fruit from trusted vintners mainly in the West Sonoma Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains, with all sites practicing sustainable or organic viticulture. John is highly involved in the vineyards they source from, and in many cases the vintners only sell fruit to Ceritas and are labeled “Monopoles.” Considering himself a winemaker of the Old World style, John believes that fruit should lead the way throughout the winemaking process and he is merely there to watch over, listen, and learn about each unique site. In the cellar, John practices minimal intervention but “flexible” winemaking, with the wines meant to showcase with honesty and transparency the terroir of each specific vineyard site.

Today’s Wine: 2016 Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

100% Cabernet Sauvignon; 13.1% ABV

The 2016 Peter Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon is medium to deep ruby in color with purple hues. Though nearly opaque, it is still lighter in the glass than I was imagining. I decanted this bottle for about 5 hours, checking in on it every hour or so, and drank it over the following 2-3 hours. The nose is gorgeous yet refined, showcasing aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, redcurrant, violets, cigar box, pine, mint, crushed rock, dried underbrush, pepper, and just a hint of oak. Moving onto the palate, I get notes of black cherry, blueberry, pomegranate, dried tobacco, licorice, scorched earth, graphite, dried green herbs, sage, and mild chocolate. The wine is medium- to full-bodied with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) but refined tannins, and a long finish. This is an exquisite old-school and traditional Napa Cab that, while beautiful now, certainly has the legs to go another couple decades.

Price: $100. I think this is a great value Napa Cab that drinks like some of the $200 bottles I’ve had. While most “modern day” Napa Cab drinkers may not like this or may not appreciate it because it is so old-school and not what they are used to, the quality, elegance, and longevity of this wine is profound. Excited to revisit this in probably 5 years.

Clean, Honest, and Burgundian Cali Pinot Noir

Today’s Story: Ceritas Wines

Ceritas Wines is a small, family-owned winery spearheaded by husband and wife duo John and Phoebe Raytek. John and Phoebe source their fruit from trusted vintners mainly in the West Sonoma Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains, with all sites practicing sustainable or organic viticulture. John is highly involved in the vineyards they source from, and in many cases the vintners only sell fruit to Ceritas and are labeled “Monopoles.” Considering himself a winemaker of the Old World style, John believes that fruit should lead the way throughout the winemaking process and he is merely there to watch over, listen, and learn about each unique site. In the cellar, John practices minimal intervention but “flexible” winemaking, with the wines meant to showcase with honesty and transparency the terroir of each specific vineyard site.

Today’s Wine: 2017 Porter-Bass Vineyard Pinot Noir

100% Pinot Noir; 13.3% ABV

The 2017 Porter-Bass Vineyard Pinot Noir is mostly opaque pale ruby in color with hints of purple. This took a good hour to open up in the glass, with the nose showcasing aromas of red cherry, strawberry, blueberry, rose petal, forest floor, stemmy underbrush, crushed rock, flint, and mineral. On the palate, I get notes of dusty raspberry, dried cherry, crunchy pomegranate, plum, slightly stale licorice, violet, garden herbs, and stony mineral. This is light- to medium-bodied with medium acidity, medium (-) tannins, and a long finish. Gorgeous wine and very Burgundian in style, though 3 more years in the bottle will do it wonders.

Price: $75. Though not an inexpensive Pinot Noir, this still offers strong QPR when compared to the “big boys” of California Pinot Noir and the quality is impeccable. Pair this with roasted chicken, duck breast, or charcuterie.