Joseph Swan Vineyards is one of the legendary wineries of California, and Joe Swan was one of the pioneers of great Left Coast Pinot Noir (which he grew and made in arguably the finest region in the state for that variety, the Russian River Valley). Although Mr. Swan is no longer with us (he passed away in 1989), his daughter and son-in-law Lynn and Rod Berglund carry on his tradition most admirably. (You can read more about Joseph Swan’s history here.) These are wines that are made to age gracefully and enjoy with food, rather than win tastings and garner 90+ point ratings. That’s not to say that they aren’t worthy of high ratings, it’s just not their intent. We’ve enjoyed some of these in the past, and when I sampled the first two of the following four at a recent tasting, I was so impressed, I just had to get my hands on more to get to know them better, and I’m glad that I did. We carry all four of these at Winebuys.com, and I’d rather drink them than many wines that cost two or three times as much. Here’s why.
2005 Joseph Swan Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Trenton View Vineyard, $36.60: Slightly murky smoky garnet in color, with an earthy cherry and mushroom nose; the rich flavors echo and expand, showing some added forest floor and rhubarb over a ripe core of fruit. Medium full bodied, with silky tannins and balanced acidity, and while obviously youthful, with its best days well ahead of it, it is already drinking pretty well, especially with a Thanksgiving turkey roulade. This wine takes me back to those Pinot Noirs that first captured my imagination back in the early ‘90s (Kalin Cellars sticks out in my mind for good reason), with their mushroom-like character, and if ever a Left Coast specimen could be described as “Burgundian,” this would have to be a prime candidate.
2005 Joseph Swan Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Cuvee de Trois, $30.50: Ruby red color, not too dark, not too light; fragrant perfume of smoky black cherry and plum shaded with a bit of cola. All of which echoes and expands on the palate with a certain spicy character and a hint of rhubarb. Medium to medium full bodied, with nice length, a silky texture and adequate structure for at least three years of further development, and just as likely five. This has a slight green streak that in another wine might detract, but in this case, adds to the complexity, especially as it opens with air. Very nice indeed.
2001 Joseph Swan Russian River Valley Zinfandel Mancini Ranch, $23.18: Ruby red in color, with a dust red raspberry and cherry nose; these impressions follow through on the palate with a pretty core of rich fruit laced with a subtle undertone of earthy mushroom, not unlike the ’05 Swan Trenton View Pinot Noir. Full bodied without excessive weight or extraction, this is graced with balanced tannins and acids and nice length on the finish, making for a distinctive Zinfandel made much more in the style of the ‘70s and ‘80s than those of the steroidal ‘90s and beyond, and that’s a plus in my book.
2001 Joseph Swan Russian River Valley Zinfandel Frati Ranch, $27.38: Clean dark color, with rich raspberry and cranberry flavors and aromas; like the ’01 Mancini, this has a slightly Pinot Noir-ish quality to it, but this time, it owes that to the cranberry-like element rather than any mushroom-y quality. This is pure Zinfandel, with no frills or pretensions; it features fine balance and structure and it’s hitting on all cylinders right now. Just one more example of why we love these wines.
Cheers,
The Winebuys Guy
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