.jpg)
But then we walked into the Williamson Wines tasting room, located in the amicable town of Healdsburg, Sonoma County. Small, but expertly decorated in mute earth tones, and accented with deep, red woods, we instinctively felt out of place. The constant driving left our clothes unpressed, and we hardly seemed the proper cliental for such a, forgive me, "classy place." Nonetheless, the Australian couple behind the bar claimed otherwise and quickly invited us alongside two apparently wealthy couples from Los Angeles. Dawn Williamson poured us our first glass, a smooth buttery Chardonnay that exhibited a perfect balance of oak and robust fruit flavors–I was floored. In my naïveté, I assumed I wasn't a Chardonnay person. On the contrary, I prefer a more balanced Chardonnay–one which harmonizes oak with the other flavors of the wine. This Chardonnay exhibited a rich buttery, oak flavor that corresponded with the delicate acidity of bright, green apple notes. Dawn detected my surprise. "French Oak," she said. I unleashed my full ignorance, and prodded her for information. Turns out, Williamson Wines insist on using French Oak, and only French Oak in their craft. Why? Dawn began on an elaborate description as to the benefits of French versus American, old versus new, oak barrels. She insisted that the balance that I so enjoyed, was a direct result of aging the wine in both new and old barrels, and that the oak itself imparted that delightful buttery, vanilla flavor.
So began the discussion of French winemaking techniques, culminating in the presentation of the winery's cabernet sauvignon, made of grapes from the Dry Creek Valley. In my previous post, I discussed my young palate's distaste for the California "Big Cab," and frankly, I wasn't too excited when they poured this. Bill Williamson, who previously determined that the two students standing at his bar were both biochemists, pulled peppered salami from beneath the bar, and began his lecture. He first explained the action of the acid in the wine on lipids and instructed us to taste the wine on its own. Again, I nearly lost footing. I had it all wrong! What I blamed on the grape merely demonstrated a lack of craft. Beautiful, rich blackberries sparred with a delicate spice, in this delightfully full bodied wine. Then the salami–this was no wine to be toyed with; it sparkled next to the spice of the salami, simultaneously invigorating the flavor of the meat, while maintaining its own complexity. Isn't this what a wine should be? Capable of enjoyment both with, and without the companionship of food? And so the bar was set at an unfortunately early hour for my future wine tasting lifestyle. For those unfamiliar with Williamson wines, let me say this–the wineries of Napa couldn't keep my attention.
Though, I haven't discussed all of the wines produced by Williamson here, every wine I experienced presented exquisite quality for the price.
Unfortunately (fortunately for Napa), Williamson is not a wide distributor of their wines. In fact, my residence in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains ensures that my pocketbook remains well protected from the lures of these amazing wines. However, for those with the purses to make the commitment, the winery offers an exclusive wine club with access to most, if not all of their production. Information can be found at their website (which I strongly encourage visiting–it's very educational) at Williamson Wines. I hope to return in the near future, to impart a more thorough review and to experience the new flavors emitting from this lovely craft winery.
Bottom Line: Amazing wines, for an appropriate price. 4 out of 5
Contact:
Williamson Wines
P.O. Box 848
Geyserville, CA 95441
website: Williamson Wines
phone: 707.473.0193
No comments:
Post a Comment