Sojourn CeOn a dark December afternoon I migrated downtown Seattle to visit with one of Sonoma’s outstanding winemakers, Eric Bradley. For about an hour we traded industry stories and he particularly amused me with his work under Sonoma legend Dick Arrowood. We both traded stories about the best wines the we tried all year. Eric mentioned that the best wine he had all year was the 1973 Monte Real Rioja. “That blew my mind. Older Rioja wines have the acidity to give them tension that holds. They can be difficult to drink when they are young but once the tannins are in balance with the acidity it is like a symphony.” I love older Rioja as well and described some of my favorite older Tondonia bottles.
Sojourn Cellars was founded 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. Eric has crafted some consistently good Pinot Noir and Chardonnay over the past several years.
Erich has been mentored by eminent winemakers 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 2018 Sojourn ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Chardonnay (WWB, 93) which has great terroir and range from this exciting new vintage in the Sonoma Coast. I really enjoyed the 2017 Sojourn Cellars ‘Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 93) which has wonderful black fruits with chocolate tones and a good level of acidity to hold the wine. This beautiful wine will cellar well for at least another fifteen years. Learn more about these beautiful wines at http://www.sojourncellars.com Here are the great new wines by Sojourn Cellars.
2018 Sojourn Cellars ‘Sonoma Coast’ Chardonnay- The 2018 ‘Sonoma Coast’ Chardonnay was aged in 30% new French oak before bottling. The texture is gorgeous here as the wine leads with bright creme brûlée and full-bodied orchard fruit flavors with Challah bread and baking spice undertones. This is fantastic stuff to enjoy in its youth and will develop well for another decade. Drink 2019-2029- 92
2018 Sojourn Cellars ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2018 ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Chardonnay is another gorgeous release by Sojourn Cellars,. The wine utilizes Clone 95 and Went Clones as the wine was aged in 30% new French oak before bottling. The wine begins with aromas of sourdough bread and shades of kumquat zest and clove which find their way in the glass. The palate has marvelous texture and mouthfeel, leading to full-bodied apple and lemon cream flavors. The long finish lingers, as this shows some marvelous length. Drink 2020-2033- 93
2018 Sojourn Cellars ‘Sonoma Coast’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 Sojourn Cellars ‘Sonoma Coast’ Pinot Noir was aged in 50% new French oak before bottling. The wine is declassified fruit from a host of great Sonoma Coast Vineyards. The wine has a soft texture with medium-bpdied and bright red fruits, cola and citrus rind accents on the palate. Delightful now, this will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 92
2018 Sojourn Cellars ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Pinot Noir was aged for 50% new French oak before bottling. Cran-pomegranate and citrus rind come together with baking spices on the nose. A bright beam of salinity races through the mid-palate, creating gobs of mouth-watering acidity. Gorgeous now, this will evolve well for at least fifteen years. Drink 2020-2035- 94
2018 Sojourn Cellars ‘Rodgers Creek Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Rodgers Creek Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a beautiful new wine. The aromatics show lovely cola and a dusting of white pepper with shades of black truffle. The freshness and verve on the mid-palate is wonderful as there is a light salinity that connects with blood orange zest, wild mushroom and ripe red fruits. Drink 2019-2035- 93
2018 Sojourn Cellars ‘Walala Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Walala Vineyard’ which is just inland from the Pacific Ocean, the wine shows off salted red cherry with shades of pomengranate seed and cola which take shape in the glass. The palate is plush, showing a lovely texture and intense red fruit flavors with a long finish. The mouth-watering acidity and brightness of the wine is really good. Drink 2019-2035- 93
2018 Sojourn Cellars ‘Gap’s Crown Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from clone 115, 667 and 828, this wine was first made in 2007. The nose is seductive with intense red and black fruits with cola accents in this expressive nose. Soft, round and generous this shows fantastic length, acidity and richness on the palate. The range on the mid-palate is gorgeous ranging from wild mushroom, to salted meats and bright red fruits that connect with cola and citrus zest. This is a complete Pinot Noir. Drink 2019-2038- 94
2017 Sojourn Cellars ‘Home Ranch Cuvee’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 ‘Home Ranch Cuvee’ Cabernet Sauvignon was aged in 60% new French oak before bottling. A dense core of dark fruits greet you with shades of tar, graphite and dark chocolate shavings that all come together in the glass. The soft texture greets you with with good freshness and bright acidity that compliments the intense blackberry pie, black tea, exotic spice and chocolate fudge flavors. Give this another year in the bottle before enjoying. Drink 2020-2035- 92
2017 Sojourn Cellars ‘Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a outstanding new wine from the talented Eric Bradley. On the nose this shows off deep creme de cassis, mocha and tar aromas that take shape in the glass. The palate is plush showing off its silky texture and marvelous mouthfeel. Toasty oak wraps around a deep core of dark fruits with a chocolate and espresso bean edge. Fantastic now, this will cellar well for at least another fifteen years. Drink 2020-2035- 93