Cartograph Wines Tasting Room

Vintage: 2019; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: North Coast; Alcohol: %13. Tasting notes: Taking in the aroma of this Rosé is like holding a big basket of ripe summer peaches. Along with the peach there are more summer notes of strawberry and honeysuckle. On the palate it is bright but has a nice mouth-feel that is a bit more round than last year's Rosé. Flavors of strawberry, peaches and cream, and a touch of Meyer lemon make this an incredibly refreshing wine for the coming warm weather

Vintage: 2018; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation; Russian River Valley, Alcohol; %13.3. Tasting Notes: Classic Russian River Valley aromas of cocoa and Bing cherry pull you in to more ripe red fruits, marshmallow, and a bit of vanilla. Ripe and round on the palate, you get more cherry and a bit of mint. The palate is broad with a savory note leading to a medium-long finish. Despite there being only 26% new oak in the blend there is a small but noticeable grip from oak tannin on the finish. (3.21.2020 - Alan)

Vintage: 2018; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.2. Tasting Notes: This block of 667 is always a favorite of ours. Aromas of baked cherry pie, orange blossom, fresh ginger and strawberries waft from the glass. It is vibrant on the palate with pronounced acidity, thus the reason we love it. As you might expect the fruits evident on first sip are tart cherry and cranberry. This is a wine that invites you back for another sip. It also boasts a long mouthwatering finish. (3.21.2020 - Alan)

Vintage: 2016, Varietal: Pinot Noir; Alcohol: %13.7. Tasting Notes: We hold the Transverse blends back a couple more years than most of our releases to allow the complexities of the blend to harmonize and integrate. On the nose, this wine is still holding onto a soft strawberry note and has developed a pleasant aroma of dried fall leaves. It is angular and bright on the palate with cranberry and pomegranate giving it a pop of bright red fruit leading to a very silky palate coating finish. This 2016 Transverse is very balanced right now and will add palate weight as it ages. (3.23.2020 - Alan)

Vintage: 2013; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %11.9. Tasting notes: The base for this wine is the same as the 2013 Brut Zero but we added a small amount of Pinot noir to give it just a touch of pink and a slight dosage at disgorging to craft a sparkling wine with a softer mouth feel and surprisingly different aromatics than its sibling. The tiny, but plentiful, bubbles in this wine carry lightly floral aromas of violets and rose petal as well as a hint of strawberries and cream. There is a slight salinity that shows on the nose and the palate. It is soft and supple on your tongue with stone fruit flavors of apricot and peach. The finish is quite long and evolves to show strawberry and soft citrus notes. This is a perfect wine for celebration, good on its own or paired with a wide range of food. Truffle potato chips anyone? (Updated 7.14.18 - Alan)

Vintage: 2013; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %11.9. Tasting notes: This late-disgorged blanc de blanc was given no dosage at disgorging. The long time aging on the lees and no sugar dosage crafted a wine that is wonderfully fragrant and very focused on the palate. The aromas include toasted brioche, lemon custard and graham cracker. There are hints of warm apple pie and hazelnut on the nose as well as the palate. The flavors are very bright and racy with plenty of citrus and some subtle but ripe fruit flavors of pear and green apple with some wet stone lingering on the long finish. With the elevated acidity. this is a sparkling best paired with food. Perfect for seafood and a good match for hard cheeses, especially a well aged Gouda. (Updated 7.14.18 - Alan)

Vintage: 2017; Varietal: Riesling; Appellation: Mendocino Ridge; Alcohol: %13.7. Tasting notes: The 2017 Green Ranch Riesling has honey, lemon curd and citrus-blossom aromas that leap from the glass, with additional notes of white peach and sweet summer dried hay hovering just behind. On the palate, it's citrus-focused, but also has a nice slate undertone that adds complexity and length to the finish. What we found very intriguing was that for a young Riesling with piles of wonderful citrus zing, the mid-palate to finish is very silky. It is, of course, completely dry but not at all austere. And as with all of our Rieslings from Green Ranch, this one will age wonderfully. (Updated 8.15.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2016; Varietal: Riesling; Appellation: Mendocino Ridge; Alcohol: %13.5. Tatsing notes: Of the five Green Ranch Rieslings we have in the bottle this 2016 is the lightest on the palate. It has bright and pretty aromatics showing orange blossom, apricot, lime, mango and a soft touch of Lily blossom. The wine seems to float on the palate and has softened ever so slightly over the past couple years. Citrus is the focus but more lime than the expected lemon. That apricot that was in the aromatic profile shows on the palate as well with a nice pop of Granny Smith apple. The finish is medium in length and shows a good balance between the plentiful acid and lingering stone fruit. (Updated 7.1.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2017; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.8. Tasting notes: This wine has an intense dark ruby color that gives a hint that you are going to get blackberry and black cherry aromas. Those primary fruit aromatics are balanced by rose petal, mint and a touch of olive tapenade. The wine is medium to full on the palate showing dark skinned plum and ripe strawberry. There is a nice cigar box note that lingers on the finish

Vintage: 2017; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %14.2. Tasting notes: The 2017 Starscape is a very energetic wine. Out of the glass we get a nice cherry pie aroma along with cedar, dried fall leaves and orange blossom. The flavors are ripe and round. Bing cherry, blueberry, and cocoa powder lead to a finish showing mellow tannins and a nice tart cranberry note

Vintage: 2017; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Mendocino Ridge; Alcohol: %14.2. Tasting notes: The 2017 Perli is vividly floral with orange zest and violets showing up front with an interesting mint and berry combination that makes for an intriguing nose. It is elegant and light on the front of the palate but carries a lot of complexity through the finish, which is wonderfully spicy and evolves for minutes. (Updated 11.9.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2017; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.9. Tasting notes: Bing cherry, gunpowder and baking spices dominate the nose; chamomile, cocoa powder, and a touch of cigar box lead you on an aromatic journey into classic Russian River Pinot noir territory. On the palate, a handful of baking spices and dried herbs balance out the rich fruit flavors of dark cherry and raspberry. Soft but plentiful tannins give way to cola and pretty herbs on the finish. (Updated 3.23.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2016; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.6; Wine & Spirits: 90. Tasting notes: The first-ever Cartograph Estate Pinot blend is a bit of a sheep in wolf's clothing. It comes at you with some pretty overtly fruity aromatics: Strawberry, cranberry, dark cherry, orange blossom and mint are right in your face as you sniff the glass. But as you get the wine in your mouth, your brain moves beyond those first impressions and notices the play between structural elements and the round supple fruit. As much as I love the fun, glitzy storefront of this wine, the real story is the complexity that comes at you after the first sip. What was fruity becomes savory. What was sharp on the nose becomes supple and round on the palate. While it's easily enjoyed without overthinking, this is a Pinot geek's wine. Spend time with this one to uncover all the little things going on behind the scenes, all the way through the long finish that shows mouth-coating tannins late. (Updated 10.1.18 - Alan)

Vintage: 2016; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Sonoma Coast; Alcohol: %13.5. Tasting notes: The 2016 Saltonstall Pinot noir has a solid cherry core with scents of violet, red fruits, dried leaves and mushroom wrapped around that cherry core. On the palate bright cranberry and strawberry light up your tongue. These light fruits present a medium palate that turns slightly minty right before a rush of soft tannins on the finish. It is drinking very nicely now and has at least another three to five years before it will show much more age. (Updated 3.4.20)

Vintage: 2016; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.8.Tasting notes: Each year, I almost regret writing the tasting note for Starscape. It's a rockstar Russian River Valley vineyard, with stellar fruit that always showcases the exact flavor and aroma profile you'd expect from a great RRV vineyard. So it pains me to trot out the old "Bing cherry and cola aromas" — people use these descriptors all the time, but they really are always in the mix with Starscape. This 2016 has a spring in its step; elevated acidity makes this a very vibrant and active wine on the palate. That Bing cherry transforms to a tart pie cherry as you take a sip, and you also get a hint of something minty — maybe tarragon? — that lingers after a taste. The medium palate leads to a long finish, where nice tight tannin shows up late. (Updated 7.31.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2016; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Mendocino Ridge; Alcohol: %13.6. Tasting notes: There's a thread that runs though the 2016 Cartograph Pinots: a quirky, wonderful energy that bubbles just below the surface. Perli has been our benchmark Pinot from Mendocino Ridge since 2009. The wine has a pretty rose-petal scent with a contrasting leather note … but the first thing I wrote down, and the thing that always comes to mind first when I sniff, is "twiggy." Not fresh-cut wood, not forest floor, but the smell of those little brown twigs you snip from your Japanese maple as you clean up dead shoots in the spring. The smell of that little oak twig that you picked up on a walk and snapped a piece off. And then you take a sip, and it's all wonderfully delicate dark fruit. It's a full palate, but the blackberry, plum and dark-cherry fruit flavors are subtle and light. I hesitate to use the term "lush," because that often means heavy on the palate — and this is a wine that has a great deal of energy and presents beautifully on the palate. (Updated 11.9.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2016; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.7. Tasting notes: Aromatically there is a big bowl of cherries in this one, predominately black cherries. Underneath this fruity facade there are subtle aromas of violets and dried leaves. This wine is building palate weight as it ages so while it is not as fruit forward as it was even a year ago is still has a broad mid-palate and great structure. Flavors of plum and blackberry are up front with a little leather showing up as the long finish begins. (Updated 3.23.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2015; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.8. Tasting notes: Classic Russian River Valley characteristics of cola and Bing cherry mix with cut cyprus and a certain savory note that evokes a sea breeze. It is well balanced for a young wine which points to it being an age-able vintage from Starscape. On the palate there is a nice earthy component that again showcases that Bing cherry along with slightly drying tannins on the finish which are rounding out with time. (Updated 7.31.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2015; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Mendocino Ridge; Alcohol: %13.5. Tasting notes: The aromas of this wine have shifted away from the dark fruit that dominated the nose even as recently as last year. Floral notes of violets and lily-of-the-valley mix with orange zest and earthy aromas of dried leaves. The initial impression on the palate is light and pretty with pronounced acidity. The wine is very well integrated so it is a bit difficult to pull apart the flavors on the palate. However, after the pretty start, it is very focused showing cranberry, raspberry, and tart cherry. Mouth-coating tannins offer a medium-long finish that invites you back for another sip. (Updated 2.13.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2015; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.3. Tasting notes: There is a candied fruit note on the front of this wine that makes us think of strawberry licorice. Balancing that confectionary note are aromas of fresh cut cedar and pennyroyal. It is vibrant on the palate showing bright cherry and cranberry with a touch of cola. There are also floral hints that come off the palate as well. With tight tannins and plentiful acid this wine has a long lingering finish. (Updated 1.3.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2014; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Mendocino Ridge; Alcohol: %13.7. Tasting notes: The Perli Vineyard always gives us wines that showcase the best of the Pinot noir grape's ability to be both subtle and powerful at the same time. Lively aromatics that combine earthy loam with floral notes announce this wine is for serious Pinot lovers. Spend a little time and appreciate the swirl of cherry, rose petal, cedar and blackberry that almost give you a potpourri-like floral aroma. The wine is light on the palate but again has a lot going on with nice red cherry balanced against the earthy notes and some pretty, fine grained tannins that persist on the medium finish. (Updated 2.13.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2014; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.8.Tasting notes: True to the Russian River Valley appellation this wine offers aromas of cola, black cherry, cocoa, baking spices and nutmeg. The wine is lighter on the palate than the rich set of aromas might suggest. Bursting with cherry flavors, the wine has a medium palate weight and tight, fine-grained tannins. As a young wine it will be great on the dinner table and Starscape always softens into a lovely earthy wine 5+ years out. (Updated 2.13.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2014; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: North Coast; Alcohol: %13.7. Tasting notes: 2014 was a year that produced lighter more delicate wines. The prominent aromas of this wine are of forest floor and mushroom, but there are also some fun strawberry and blackberry notes with a little herbal note of thyme. This wine has softened on the palate with age. Some of the dark fruit that the wine showed when young has shifted to rose petal and strawberry with earthy elements more prominent than the fruit component. (Updated 5.25.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2014; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %13.6. Tasting notes: With a few years in the bottle this wine is showing classic Russian River Valley characteristics of cola, ripe cherry and mushroom. There is a touch of vanilla and earthy aromatics of dried leaves and summer hay. The palate is lush and full but also refreshing. The lush blackberry and sarsaparilla flavors are matched with a nice tannin grip that leads from the full palate to a long finish with dried fruit and earthy aromatics evolving during the long finish. (Updated 1.31.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2013; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %14. Tasting notes: Speaking of classics, this Floodgate Pinot delivers a bullseye when it comes to the aromas you would expect from a great Russian River Valley vineyard. Aromas of cocoa, cola, black tea and black cherry mix with earthy notes of soft loam, mushroom and dried fall leaves. Medium on palate with some light, chalky tannins but showing a smooth finish with good acid. (Updated 1.31.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2013; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: North Coast; Alcohol: %14. Tasting notes: So much of what we do and stand for is all about trying to craft a wine that is an expression of the vineyard where the grapes are grown. This wine comes from a completely different point of view. What if we ignored all boundaries of vineyard and even appellation to craft a wine that we feel is the absolute best expression of the Pinot noir grape from all our vineyard sources? What you get is an incredibly complex but also wonderfully balanced wine that we hold to allow it to reach optimal aromatics and balance before releasing. The nose on this wine is very rich and inviting with Bing cherry, fennel, mushroom and forest floor. There is also a savory note that brings to mind roasted root vegetables. The wine has gained palate weight with time in bottle. Rich dark fruit with a lot of ripe black cherry and a complex blend of baking spices and opulent tannins that leads to a long finish. (Updated 1.25.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2012; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %14.2. Tasting notes: This wine is supremely well integrated. The aromatics are soft and subtle and the palate is study in harmony - everything is in the right place. On the nose you get soft plum, violets, delicate dried leaves and a slight cigar box note. On the palate it is velvety soft, earthy, and perfectly balanced. Subtle hints of dried cherry and strawberry float in the background and mix with loamy notes and a bright acid zip that could fool you into thinking this wine is much younger. Drink now through 2022. (Updated 2.20.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2012; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Vineyard Designation: Roma's Vineyard. Tasting notes: Black cherry and violets dominate the nose but are balanced by earthy fall leaves and a bright cedar element. The palate has become more delicate and earthy with time but continues to offer ripe cherry and blackberry fruits. The finish has soften and lengthened with a subtle acidity keeping it lively. The overall impression is a very balanced wine with a velvety feel. This would be a great wine to have with salmon as you sit outside and enjoy a warm summer breeze. (Updated 3.2.2020 - Alan)

Vintage: 2012; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley. Tasting notes: The 2012 growing season was the first warm year after two very cold vintages. The wines from this vintage are very high quality and are great expressions of where the grapes were grown. Similar to the 2014 RRV blend, it shows classic aromas of cherry cola and dried hay but also plentiful black tea notes and a hint of Jasmine. The palate is generous with lots of cherry and ripe strawberry. There is also a nice earth component with spicy cedar notes. It is soft and pretty on the palate with lots of natural silky tannins from the fully developed grape skins that give the wine a velvety feel. (Updated 3.2.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2011; Varietal: Pinot Noir, Appellation: Russian River Valley. Tasting Notes: 2011 may have been a cool growing season, but the Floodgate team's impeccable farming practices in this perfect cool-climate growing location never fails to deliver everything you want from the Russian River Valley. Dark ruby in color with a hint of brickiness on the edge, this wine is lush on the palate. If you' re a fan of Floodgate, you'll recognize the black cherry and blueberry fruit notes alongside the beautiful earthy undertones that balance this wine on the palate. With time in the cellar, the loamy, earthy character of the vineyard is starting to show. (Updated 7.31.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2011; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley, Alcohol: %14.2. Tasting notes: This wine has picked up palate weight as it has aged. Rich Bing cherry, mushroom, and forest floor are the most prevalent aromas with some light floral notes as well. Nicely balanced on the palate, the word that describes it best is harmonious. The cool 2011 growing season did not give us a lot of big fruit components so the palate is decidedly more earthy than fruity with a light finish that is fairly short. (Updated 1.31.19 - Alan)

Vintage: 2009; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Russian River Valley; Alcohol: %14. Tasting notes: Floodgate, now called Starscape, was our first Russian River vineyard and 2009 was our first year getting this fruit. The 2009 Floodgate is the oldest wine still available in our library. Some Pinots add weight as they age, others can soften and become almost shy aromatically. The 2009 Floodgate definitely has added some depth and aromatic heft but it still light on the palate. This is an un-fined, un-filtered wine that shows some funk and an aromatic profile that shows stewed fruit, porcini mushroom, moist forest floor, and a note of fresh cut Douglas fir. On the palate there is more of that earthy profile. It is light and savory on the palate showing some mouth-watering umami as well. Drink now through 2020. (Updated 1.08.20 - Alan)

Vintage: 2015; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Green Valley; Alcohol: %14.1. Earthy loam mixes with dark plum, black cherry, and dry fall leaves. On the palate it is a medium/full weight with rich Bing cherry balanced against earthy undertones. The long finish shows the typical elevated acid profile of the Green Valley AVA, which makes for a mouthwatering experience that invites you back for another sip. 18 magnums produced

Vintage: 2015; Varietal: Pinot Noir, Appellation: Russian River Valley, Alcohol: %13.8. Classic Russian River Valley characteristics of cola and Bing cherry mix with cut cyprus and a certain savory note that evokes a sea breeze. It's well balanced, which points to it being an age-able vintage from Starscape. A nice earthy component on the palate showcases that Bing cherry, along with slightly drying tannins on the finish which are rounding out with time. 18 magnums produced

Vintage: 2015; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: North Coast; Alcohol: %13.4. The 2015 Transverse has developed beautifully in the bottle. The aromas are a mix of sharp and round, with baked apple, blackberry and baby aspirin balanced by tangerine, pine resin and a slight minty note. The palate is luxuriously rich and full, with more of those darker fruits balanced by some bright fruit flavors of lychee and cranberry. This wonderfully complex wine finishes with nice, round tannins that stretch the finish out for a long, fun ride. 18 magnums produced

Vintage: 2015; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Mendocino Ridge; Alcohol: %13.8. Mariah Vineyard always gives an earthy aromatic profile and the 2015 Mariah mixes aromas of freshly cut redwood, dried leaves, dusty earth and a bit of citrus blossom. On the palate you'll taste cranberry and strawberry along with a richer fruit component that evokes a baked apple. 18 magnums produced

Vintage: 2015; Varietal: Pinot Noir; Appellation: Sonoma Coast; Alcohol: %13.7. The best wines from the Petaluma Gap show a certain taut energy, and this 2015 Saltonstall is a perfect example. The aromas are lush with plum, dark cherry, violets, cedar and baking spices—but on the palate, it's brighter than the rich aromatics might suggest. Bright cherry and strawberry spring to life on your tongue, with nice, slightly chalky tannins lingering through the pretty and very balanced finish. This is a very well integrated wine that's solidly on the elegant end of the Pinot spectrum, but also has an incredible vibrancy that makes it a memorable experience on the palate. 18 magnums produced