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Mission Codename: Speeding to greatness

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit our friends at Adobe Road Winery and procure the latest release of their Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Adobe Road Winery

Wine Subject: 2008 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker: Michael Scorsone

Backgrounder:

Sauvignon Blanc originally hails from the Loire Valley in France, but has found new homes in other parts of France (Bordeaux, where it is blended with Sauternes); New Zealand, and specifically the Marlborough region as well as California. It is generally dry and crisp with flavors of apples, pears and tropical fruit and tends to have bright acidity that lends itself well to pairing with spicy foods. Today’s selection is from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County. Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley is a treasure trove of great wines. While known for big reds, the region is home to many great white wines too. While The Wine Spies have been trying to keep from acquiring too many wines from the region when the wines are great, so why not?

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Bright and clear pale straw yellow with that fades to clear along the edges. When swirled, widely spaced fat and thin legs streak to the wine below.

Smell – Medium in intensity with bright aromas of green and citrus fruit that layer over lemon creme and vanilla notes. A hint of grassy herb and minerality round out the fresh nose.

Feel – Smooth and dry, this lively and fresh medium bodied wine is youthful in its acidity with good weight that balances the bright crisp texture.

Taste – Citrus, including pink grapefruit and green apple blend with lemon creme and vanilla toast. Add to this some spice, white flowers and hints of green herb and minerality.

Finish – Crisp and tart with lingering citrus and green apple with the lemon creme found on the nose and palate lingering on and inviting another swirl, sniff and sip.

Conclusion – The 2008 Adobe Road Winery Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc is a bright, fresh and crisp Sauvignon Blanc that is both very food friendly. Youthful in its aromas and flavors with the lemon creme shining though, is perfect for the lingering days of summer.

Mission Report:

Our operatives know we’ve had Adobe Road under surveillance for some time. Below follows Agent Red’s initial Mission Report on Adobe Road Wines.

I love my missions to France. The wine, the climate and the food all seem to agree with me.

On a recent mission to the French village of Anjou in the Loire Valley (the region in France best known for Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc wines), I was tipped off by a local asset that winery owner and racing legend Kevin Buckler was staying in a hotel neighboring my own.

He was in France for his annual appearance at the world famous auto race, 24 Hours of Le Mans. Kevin and his team drive the incredible Porsche GT3. Kevin is a world-class driver, and he and his team have racked up wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (2002) and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans (2002), an overall win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (2003), and the title of Porsche World Cup Champion in 2002.

Kevin’s winery, Adobe Road, had been under light surveillance for a few months already and Central Command was preparing to send an Agent to investigate – but I got my own once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet Kevin in his racing element, and Central Command approved my impromptu mission and I extended my stay in France.

I am enough of a Porsche fan to have my own sights set on a 2008 Cayman S. Since I had the brochure with me on my travels I used it as a prop, taking it with me to the hotel restaurant where Kevin and his team were having dinner. Having made friends with the Maître ’D earlier (I buttered him up with a bottle of Patrick Bodouin Anjou Villages Cabernet Franc ), I was seated next to their table.

I sat down and positioned the Cayman brochure so that it would be seen by Kevin or his crew. Then I ordered a bottle of great wine and waited. They took the bait and one of the guys at the table leaned over and said to me, “Hey, Buddy. That’s a nice car, but why not spring for a real Porsche and get a GT3?”

Now, I knew that the monster GT3 was their car, but I replied, “I leave that car to the professionals. It’s better suited to the racetrack, if you ask me.”

That opened up a great conversation about Porsches and about wine that went late into the night. Kevin waxed poetic about both and I enjoyed his passion on these two great subjects. As the evening was ending, Kevin’s crew chief invited me to visit pit row for a brief tour of their on-track operations. I jumped at the chance and enjoyed every second of it. At the end of the tour, I asked if I could ride along during a check-ride… and was nearly laughed off the track.

Once the crew chief wiped the tears from his eyes, he became very serious. He quickly escorted me away from the pit row, handed me a few bottles of Adobe Road Pinot Noir, and pushed me toward the security exit. Oh, well. At least I tried. And, at least I walked away with an arm full of Kevin’s excellent Pinot Noir.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The approximate location of the Adobe Road Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.