Here's how to get the very best out of your next stop at Yorkville Cellars.
What? You haven't already been here? Well, that can easily be rectified. The Yorkville Highlands is one of northern California's most exciting but least known wine regions, often lumped together with the nearby Anderson Valley, or with the Redwood Valley/Potter Valley AVAs close to the Mendocino County towns of Ukiah and Hopland. But all you have to do is look around these parts, and you'll spot the Yorkville Highlands difference. Rolling hills. Interesting soils. High elevations for wine-growing (up to 2000 feet). A real mix of varietals, but with a particular proclivity to Rhone and Bordeaux grapes, which of course you'll also find in better-known places like Paso Robles, Napa, and Sonoma, but here - way up here in the Highlands, these grapes turn out differently.
At Yorkville Cellars, this translates into organic vineyards planted in the 1990s to all 8 major Bordeaux varietals (2 white, 6 red), tended meticulously for more than 20 years by the same husband-and-wife winemakers. And - trust me- you will want to try all 8 of 'um, if only because opportunities like that are shockingly rare.
So, here's the deal: have at least one member of your party order the $12 "Guess that Varietal" tasting, which allows you to sample through the reds, like Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Carmenere. Have another member of your party order the complimentary tasting, which will usually include Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and blend of the two ("Eleanor of Aquitane"), a red Bordeaux master blend ("Richard the Lion-Hearted"), and a pour of their house red ("Hi-Rollr"), whose composition varies from vintage to vintage but often includes a fair bit of estate Malbec, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot (as was the case with the 2014 vintage). Pass the glasses around. Sip, swirl, sniff. You'll love it!
There is also a pretty rosé of Malbec for purchase, around $20 if you order 6 bottles or more. The single varietal reds are very lovely, made with some aging in mind, and very intriguing in terms of aromatics, mouthfeel, finish, and flavor. The Carmenere is justifiably popular, as is the Malbec, but I also was impressed by the Cab Franc, Merlot, and the Sémillon. The alcohol levels of the wines tend to be slightly lower than Napa or Sonoma, usually in the 13% range, and this preserves better the acidity in the wines that makes them great for food pairing.
The property itself is very picturesque: a 2-story wooden tasting room surrounded by stately oaks and well-tended vineyards, a gravel driveway lined with rose bushes that leads from Highway 128, a very knowledgeable tasting room staff, a cute winery cat ("Slate") who peers at you from the back window, and a lot of surrounding forest that is left unplanted to vine, giving the area a less monocultural feel than parts of the Dry Creek, Sonoma, or Napa valleys.
A chance to sample so many Bordeaux single varietals in one winery location is a special treat, whether you be new to wine tasting or an experienced veteran who can compare these wines well to South American, European continental, Australian, or Washington State offerings. I think you'll detect a noticeable Yorkville Highlands difference - and that will make you thirsty for more. read more