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THE BEST TASTING ROOMS
White Crane Winery
5405 Greenville Road, Livermore CA
(925) 455-8085
www.vineyardinn-craneridge.com
On a
ridge just above the main road through Livermore Valley's wine
country is a tiny tasting room that doesn't fit our "normal"
criteria for a Tasting Room of the Month. It doesn't have a huge,
fancy tasting facility and there are very few wine goodies to browse
or buy. In fact, unless you know it's there, you could easily pass
right by!
What
it does have is Nick
Nardolillo, a soft-spoken but charismatic owner/winemaker who,
besides making great wines, will talk shop for hours and even climb
up onto his barrels to let visitors sample his new wines.
The
tasting room is staffed with several very helpful staff eagerly pouring Crane Ridge's outstanding wines. They pour both of
their labels- Crane Ridge and Winery 21, with no tasting fee. The
wines are intense, geared more toward the wine connoisseur (wine
prices hover in the high $20's- $30's), than casual wine drinkers. In
this case, the prices are justified. Crane Ridge wines are
absolutely fabulous.
Oh, do
you love Bed-and-Breakfasts? They also operate The Vineyards at
Crane Ridge, an elegant but equally comfortable inn where guest awaken to
the aroma of gourmet breakfasts, and complimentary wine and appetizers
are served every afternoon. Replete with vineyard charm, the Inn
boasts cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors, and cozy wood-burning
fireplaces for a wonderful place to unwind.
FAVORITES:
2000
Chardonnay Reserve: A classic California Chardonnay in every
respect. Big and buttery with flawless acid balance, aromas of apple
and vanilla explode with juicy tropical notes and nutty oak on the
tongue. Mouth-filling and ripe, but not overpowering.
Rating:
3+
2002 Syrah: Nick poured this right out of the barrel and into
winemaking history! Using a unique form of wine production called extended maceration, the wine is left for a longer period on the
skins before fermentation begins. This has resulted in a
magnificently rich, deep red-black wine that screams with
black berries, chocolate, hints of coffee and mint, big oak, and a
supple finish that lingers long after the wine is gone. Surprisingly
smooth, the tannins are firm but soft, allowing the character of the
grape to stream through. This particular taste came from a Hungarian
oak barrel, but the wine is stored in a variety of American, French,
and Hungarian oak barrels, then combined to bring out the best of
each.
Rating
3+
Other
wines we tasted included current releases of Chardonnay, Cabernet
Sauvignon, a killer Zinfandel, plus 3 other barrel tastes- the 2002
Chardonnay and two versions of the same 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. It
seems that the alcohol level of this Cabernet, plus the magic of
high-tech wine wizardry allowed them to produce two different
alcohol levels of the exact same wine. Both were excellent, but the
minor difference in alcohol level has produced two unique wines!
White
Crane's destiny is clear. They fulfill a dwindling niche that was
once owned by the Napa giants- opulent, classically designed wines
(and soon, Cognac), which they offer with a low-key, self-assured,
and friendly personality that belies the magnificence of their
product!
White Crane Winery tasting room is open
Friday through Sunday, 12:00PM-4:30 PM
White Crane Winery
5405 Greenville Road, Livermore CA
(925) 455-8085
www.vineyardinn-craneridge.com
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