Futures Pick-up Day at Scherrer

I was introduced to Fred Scherrer in 1997 when he was still a winemaker for Delinger. At the time, I was struck by both his gentle manner, and his amazing way with his family's plot of zinfandel. He started his own project in 1998 full-time, and I have been buying his wine in futures ever since. My cellar goes back to 1996 for his great zins. His low-key, but ever-growing space in Sebastapol, near Graton, is not open to the public at large, but a few days a year he opens his doors and his barrels, and those of us who buy futures come to hang out, taste the futures in barrel in the Summer, or the finished wares in Spring. This past weekend was the Spring pick-up and current release tasting. Those of you interested in joining the futures program can log onto www.scherrerwinery.com and get more information.

The Tasting: Scherrer Current releases Spring 2003

Scherrer - Chardonnay 2002
Melon and lemon scents rise from the glass, along with a bit of petrol that blew off quickly. He's going for a burgundian style, but has refined oak nuances. Clean.

Scherrer - Chardonnay, Ft. Ross 2002
This one is youthful, with tropical/citrus charm. Young, but fine now with a nice bit of chicken.

Scherrer - Pinot Noir, Ft. Ross 2002
Tasty with lots of light, floral cherries.

Scherrer - Pinot Noir, High Slopes 2002
Bigger, darker cherries. A bit closed, but will be a winner. Bought some!

Scherrer - Zinfandel, Shale Terrace 2003
Bright, full flavors for such a lovely, light style zin. This has more high notes than previous bottlings of Shale. Grab some if you can, it's very limited and sells out in futures.

Scherrer - Zinfandel, Old and Mature Vines 2003
While "Old and Mature" sounds redundant, this is actually a blend of grapes from his family's older vines that date back to as far back as 1912 and younger, but mature vines. Always a winner, the OMV this year had dark chewy blackberry notes.

Scherrer - Cabernet 2001
I am also a fan of Fred's Cabs, and at $40 a good deal. I love a $40 bottle that tastes like a $90 bottle. This is still coming along, and is in better form than the last time I tasted the '01. Should be a great bottle in a couple of years.