One of the great wineries of Sonoma, Sojourn Cellars began in 2001 as a partnership between two tennis buddies who discovered a mutual passion for great wine. At Sojourn Craig and Ellen Haserot work together with winemaker Erich Bradley, the former winemaker at Arrowood Winery in Sonoma. A native of Palo Alto, California, Erich has a degree in bio-chemistry from the esteemed University of Chicago and a degree in Philosophy and Modern European Intellectual History from the University of California at Irvine. He is obviously a talented mind and brings this intellect to his very technically sound collection of wines.
Erich has been mentored by eminent winemakers Richard Arrowood and David Ramey and sources his wines from some fantastic California vineyards, including Gap’s Crown Vineyard and the Durell Vineyard. The new releases by Sojourn were beautiful across the board. Look to the 2017 Sojourn ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Chardonnay (WWB, 92) which has really good richness and a wonderful mouthfeel. I really enjoyed the 2016 Sojourn Cellars ‘Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 94) which shows incredible richness with toasty oak and layers of dark fruits. Learn more about these beautiful wines at http://www.sojourncellars.com Here are the great new wines by Sojourn Cellars.
2017 Sojourn ‘Sonoma Coast’ Chardonnay- Sourced from a host of Sonoma Coast AVA vineyards, this wine was aged in 30% new French oak prior to bottling. Brioche, vanilla cream and roasted pineapple aromas fill the glass. The palate is rich, showing a good sense of place. Vanilla creme brûlée, banana and butterscotch flavors all impress. Enjoy this excellent wine over the next decade. Drink 2019-2026- 91
2017 Sojourn ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The Sojourn ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Chardonnay is a sensational effort. On the nose bright brioche, lemon zest and ripe pineapple flavors all impress. The palate shows a soft texture and a silky mouthfeel. Toasty oak wraps around vanilla cream, ripe banana and pineapple flavors with a touch of kumquat. Downright delicious now, this excellent wine will continue to evolve over a decade or more. Drink 2019-2028- 92
2017 Sojourn ‘Sonoma Coast’ Pinot Noir- This starts off with a bouquet of cherry cola with sassafras and black tea elements also shining brightly. The palate displays a brisk acidity with bright minerals that connect with cran-cherry, pomegranate seed and Mandarin orange rind flavors. Energetic and enticing, this will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 20189-2028- 92
2017 Sojourn Rodgers Creek VIneyard’ Pinot Noir- Located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, the Rodgers Creek Vineyard is set on a high ridge in the middle of the Petaluma Gap. This was partially whole-cluster fermented (20%) prior to being aged in French oak (50% new). The nose takes on bright bing cherry aromas with lighter citrus rind and forest floor components. The palate displays a soft mouthfeel as toasty oak sets over red and dark fruits with blood orange zest flavors. Ripe and generous, this will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2019-2030- 93
2017 Sojourn ‘Walala Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2017 ‘Walala Vineyard’ Pinot Noir by Sojourn is a downright gorgeous effort. The Walala Vineyard is located in the Sonoma Coast AVA and is set only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean as the maritime influence is quite prominent in the vineyard. Teaberry, Yakima cherry and cran-pomegranate aromas fill the glass. The palate shows a ripe texture and a silky mouthfeel that delights. Red fruits like pomegranate, guava and red cherry seem to dominate, with lighter cola and peat moss tones that round out the palate. Downright delicious now, this will continue to evolve well over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2019-2030- 93
2017 Sojourn ‘Gap’s Crown’ Pinot Noir- The Gap’s Crown Vineyard is one of the great vineyards of the in the Sonoma Coast AVA, set between 300 and 800 feet, right next to the Sangiocomo VIneyard. This wine opens with a bouquet of white rose, cran-pomegranate and orange zest. The salinity of the wine shines through as bright red cherry candy, guava puree, Mandarin orange rind and cola flavors all marvelously combine on the palate. This marvelous wine shows not only serious range but a beautiful, soft texture. Enjoy this over the next decade or more. Drink 2019-2030- 94
2017 Sojourn ‘Sangiocomo Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Sangiocomo Vineyard has a very strong maritime influence being only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Sojourn has been sourcing from this esteemed vineyard since 2004. The wine starts off with a bright bouquet of dark cherry cough syrup, cola, sassafras and a touch of diatomaceous earth. The palate reveals a silky mouthfeel with plush dark and red fruit flavors with a touch of cran-orange. Refined and offering light tannins, this is a stunning effort by Sojourn. Drink 2019-2030- 93
2016 Sojourn ‘Proprietary Cuvee’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Proprietary Cuvee’ by Sojourn is sourced from some esteemed vineyard sites in Napa: the Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III in Rutherford as well as the Oakville Ranch Vineyard. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine was aged for 18 months in largely new (75%) French oak prior to bottling. The nose is gorgeous showing highly perfumed creme de cassis, black tea, Asian spice and mocha aromas that continue to build in the glass. The wine shows off a silky mouthfeel as mocha, tar, anise and creme de cassis flavors shine brightly alongside the toasty oak on the palate. Rich, decadent and hard to resist now, this awesome wine by Erich Bradley has a long life in the cellar. Drink 2019-2035- 94
2016 Sojourn ‘Oakville’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Oakville’ Cabernet Sauvignon is largely comprised of Oakville Ranch fruit. The vineyard is set at 1,000 to 1,400 feet above sea level, and is set on a combination with soils of clay over volcanic rock. This wine shows its best aromatic expression following a one hour decant. Once aroused it displays coffee ground, roasted fig and black cherry compote aromas that impress. The palate is plush and refined, showing some mild tannins with creme de cassis, Turkish coffee, and roasted date flavors. Downright delicious now, this will cellar well for the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2019-2033- 92
2016 Sojourn ‘Home Ranch Cuvee’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Home Ranch Vineyard’ is located on the western edge of the Sonoma Valley. The wine shows off intense blackberry pie, mocha, anise and sagebrush undertones that fill the nose. Soft and refined on the palate, the wine shows a silky texture. Blackberry pie, black tea, anise and creme de cassis with coffee ground flavors all impress. Downright delicious now, this wine will cellar well for the next fifteen years. Drink 2019-2033- 92
2016 Sojourn ‘Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Beckstoffer Georges III’ is a gorgeous new wine by Sojourn and winemaker Erich Bradley. On the nose this takes on some classic Rutherford terroir with dusty earth, Creme de cassis and anise aromatics with a touch of milk chocolate. Showing a good combination of viscosity and tension on the mid-palate, this yields ripe boysenberry cordial, black tea, Creme de cassis and red bell pepper flavors that are enveloped by toasty oak. This has some serious range as this warm vintage wine shows not only copious dark fruits but good terroir. Enjoy this beautiful wine over the next two decades. Drink 2019-2040- 94