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Mission Codename: The Rhodesian

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Christopher Creek Winery, in the verdant Dry Creek Valley. Retrieve an ample quantity of their fabled Finlay’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – for our exacting Operatives.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Christopher Creek

Wine Subject: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon – Finlay’s Vineyard – Dry Creek Valley

Winemaker: Todd Crowell

Backgrounder: The Dry Creek Valley AVA in northeastern Sonoma (north of Healdsburg) county is somewhat warmer and wetter than the Russian River Valley AVA region just to the south and the Alexander Valley AVA just to the east. The warmer and wetter climate provides great versatility with regard to the types of grapes that can be effectively cultivated in the region.

Today’s superb wine comes from the Finlay’s Vineyard, on the Eastern slopes of Bradford Mountain, in the Dry Creek Valley.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Black cherry juice, with a deepening, inky core. The wine maintains its color, right out the the very edge of the glass, where a band of Bing cherry-color encircles the glass. On swirling, the wine looks weighty. When it settles, skinny legs streak down the glass.

Smell – Lush and vibrant, with an initial rush of red flowers, black cherry, blackberry and cassis. These are joined plum, dusty bramble, semi-sweet chocolate, clove, cedar and soft cinnamon.

Feel – Smooth and light-weight on entry, then a soft and easy dryness shows up on the mid-palate, eventually spreading to the cheeks, lips and mid-palate with a slight flinty mineral feel.

Taste -Red and black fruit, leading with earthy cherry, blackberry, earthy bramble, cranberry and dusky blueberry. As the dryness spreads, a cascade of additional flavors appears, leading with young strawberry, cedar, black coffee, anise, cedar and a hint of green tomato vine.

Finish – Long and flavorful, leading with red fruit that slowly yields to black fruit and spice – with a hint of earthy minerals and black pepper.

Conclusion – In a word, Delicious!. Ready to drink, right now, I can’t help but project into the future, where this wine will be an even bigger stunner. Lush, flavorful and balanced, our tasting panel really loved this approachable wine. With bold fruit that delivers big flavors, the wine shows balance with its bright acidity. This combination makes it an impressive and competent food pairing companion. Enjoy now, or cellar for several more years.

Mission Report:

With bottling underway, we were unable to secure an interview with today’s winemaker. For your entertainment, what follows is our original mission report, dating back to 2008, when we first learned about Christopher Creek, and their Limerick Lane Vineyard.

Agent White, reporting: As mentioned in the backgrounder, HQ had become concerned that Agent Red had been brainwashed, or otherwise compromised. Earlier this year, Red was sent on a mission, the wine was great, but he returned to our Top Secret Tasting Operations Center humming a some and repeating the words to a limerick.

Agent [REDACTED] was especially concerned (not surprising). This limerick seemed to be consuming him. HQ asked me to investigate and to make sure I didn’t fall under the same spell as red.

I decided the best way to gather intel was to perform an undercover tasting. Upon arriving at tasting room in Healdsburg, I was greeted by Chris Russi, the winemaker, and Fred Wasserman, the owner, who immediately poured me a taste of each of the wines. After tasting the flight, I can tell you, the only thing that is making red hum the limerick is the fantastic wine.

Here is the original limerick. If you hear someone repeating it over and over, you’ll know they’ve tasting these great wines.

There was a young fella named Chris
whose grand-uncle once said, “Drink this”
T’was a libation so fine
that his heart it did shine
and Chris said “Henceforth, I shall make wine!”

His wine journey did start
and he followed his heart
to a school of high enophile learning
where he did seek, interest starting to peak,
to satisfy wine-knowledge yearning

Pure wisdom he sought
At U.C. Davis was taught
Where its classrooms stimulated his thought

The payoff of his wager
was his double wine major
Wine erudition his money had bought

Now young Chris yearned for more –
from his toes to his core
where the vineyards called out to his soul,
“Come NOW Chris, grab your shears and let’s grow!”

Never one to feel bleak
keeping up his hot streak
Chris began his intense wine career
Pondering wineries tiny and those massive-big
he landed at wine-giant, Guyser Peak

Experience grew
Wines and vines he now knew
and Chris had even grander ambition
After one short audition he secured the position
of Christopher Creek’s main wine magician

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Christopher Creek winery can be seen in satellite photo.