Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1037369
{ SOMMjournal.com } 7 While we await next year's debut of Meadowrock Vineyard's 2016 vintage, we tasted some of winemaker Julian Gon - zalez's other handiwork in the Guarachi Family Wines portfolio. Guarachi Family Wines 2016 Sun Chase Vineyard Chardonnay, So - noma Coast ($50) With a nose of rich cinnamon-apple, chamomile, and buttered almonds, this wine ows dynamically and dramatically over the palate. Peach and as - sorted stone fruit are energetic and ripe. Native-fermented, unltered, and with 100% ML, this release has natural acidity that shines through, achieving a sense of balance. 96 Guarachi Family Wines 2015 Sun Chase Vineyard Pi - not Noir, Sonoma Coast ($75) Cherry aromas are deci- sively bright, deep, and assertive with a touch of white pep- per. Geranium and roses are elegantly placed and silky on the tongue, while blueberry and rhubarb offer fruit amongst the owers: A mid-palate kiss of porcini mushroom makes for a more feminine experience. It's surprising this lithe beauty has an ABV of 14.8%. 97 Guarachi Family Wines 2016 Sun Chase Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($75) Released in March, this new - er vintage shows its masculine side with scents of chocolate, tilled soil, and a deep well of black cherry. A weave of mineral - ity ows through the dark fruit. "This was from a beautiful, uniform growing season," Gonzalez says. "We chose the four best barrels for this wine." 98 Guarachi Family Wines 2014 Beckst - offer To Kalon Cab- ernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Val- ley ($150) Only one ton is made from this well-respected block, which showcases mineral-driven tannins in a curtain of inky fruit. Black raspberry takes the stage with a supporting cast of anise and tobacco. This is balanced to a "T" (for To Kalon, naturally). 96 Guarachi Family Wines 2014 Beckstof - fer Las Piedras Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($250) This 300-acre parcel was rst purchased by Beaulieu founder Georges de Latour in 1928; Beckstoffer then bought the acclaimed site in 1988. It has since been replanted with new Cabernet Sauvignon clones, advanced trellising systems, and tighter spacing, instilling a luxurious yet approachable nature in the wine. Round, voluptuous tannins bring out jasmine- scented blueberry and cedar-vanilla. 98 Guarachi Family Wines Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Atlas Peak, Napa Valley (Price TBD) We tasted a barrel sample, as this wine doesn't debut until next June. Perfumed with night-bloom - ing jasmine, sandalwood, and blackberry, this youthful red shows exciting potential for ageworthiness. A bouquet of heather, violets, and lilacs is invigorated by mineral - ity from the red-rock volcanic soil and a dusty mouthfeel. This elegant wine shows the intensity of mountain fruit without the overbearing density as Old World acidity and "Old Napa" structure come into play. Dark chocolate melts, leaving a coating on the teeth. "Due to the exposure, rocky soils, and wind, Meadowrock maintains hygiene in wet, cold vintages," Gonzalez notes. "We only harvest what's ripe. In dif - cult years we go through our blocks up to four times during the season, selecting and harvesting just-ripe clusters. All of our fruit goes through sorting belts, where we sort clusters and berries. We ferment in small t-bins with an objective to extract the most without compromising the quality and the style. We then age the wine in French-oak barrels for up to 22 months." 99 Tasting through Guarachi