This post begins our series of visits to wineries in California this year.
We never miss at least a few stops in the Sierra Foothills, about 45 minutes from Sacramento. Several very fine wines and some very good friends always await us in this area. The Sierra Foothills consists of 3 counties, Amador, Calaveras, and El Dorado.
Our first stop is at Boeger Winery www.boegerwines.com. Boeger Winery is located in El Dorado county and, as mentioned in my blog from last year’s visit, is a family owned operation with Greg Boeger, the founder, now retired from making the wine, and son, Justin, taking over as winemaker, second generation.
Here are the wines we tasted: The aging potential shown on some of the wines was estimated by the winery.
2007 Sauvignon Blanc – not as intense as past years, but some green apple and citrus character make for a nice, light, summer wine. $12.00
2007 Chardonnay – nice buttery character with some spiciness, medium bodied with excellent balance and great fruit. $18.00
2007 Muscat Canelli – just off dry with wonderful peachy varietal character. This is an absolutely perfect wine for something spicy, like Thai food. It is supposedly 17.5% alcohol but you would never know it. The incredible thing is that it is on sale for $8.00! I really don’t know why but I suspect, given the high alcohol and low residual sugar, this was originally supposed to be a dessert wine that fermented out too quickly, and they don’t yet have a market for it. Great wine!
2007 Barbera – Boeger is known for their great Barbara wines and this one fits right in. Loads of fruit, cherry and plum, with a little spiciness on the finish. Aging potential 10+ years. $16.50
2006 Reserve Barbera – outstanding wine. Aged in 100% new American oak for 2 years. There is so much concentration in the fruit that it stood up beautifully to being in new oak that long. There is some pepper, black currant, and a hint of clove balancing nicely with the oak. Aging potential 5+ years. $40.00
Hangtown Red lot 37 – always a really nice blend and a good buy. This one is Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Pinot Noir. It has lively fruit and a soft finish. Easy drinking. Recommended for Bar-B-Cue. $11.00
2005 Carson Peak Cabernet Sauvignon – Nice, easy going cabernet. There is a little cranberry and spice with a hint of chocolate. Good buy for $12.00
2006 Estate Zinfandel – nice raspberry and blackberry character. Jammy wine with a hint of black pepper. Deep and rich plum flavors add to the mix. $20.00
Next: Sierra Foothills Part 2 - Sobon and Shenandoah Vineyards
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