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{ SOMMjournal.com } 1 15 My Boss Is Mother Nature Given her background, it's easy to see why Crowe is fascinated with hallmark vineyard sites. She has a soft spot for Rodgers Creek on the Sonoma Coast which is the source of her single vineyard Pinot Noir and much of her Sonoma Coast Pinot, and the much-loved original vineyard site for Garnet—Stanly Ranch in Carneros. As winemaker for Silverado Winegrowers, she's been making wine from both vineyards since 2005. Garnet became her own label in 2010 when her partners at Silverado bought the brand from Saintsbury. Crowe now carries on the tradition of Carneros Pinot Noir pioneers Dick Ward and Dave Graves, and she's establishing a few benchmarks of her own. Her Garnet 2012 Monterey Pinot Noir (SRP $14.99) sits at 11th on Wine Enthusiast's "Top 100 Best Buys" list for 2014 with a score of 92 points. "The rich fruit character of this wine comes from well-drained sandy soils on the Western Bench of the Salinas River," she explains. Broshious noted the wine was "rounded with sweet cherries, tons of spices and baked cherry pie. Savory and sweet all at the same time." "I'm a winemaker for farmers and it was a treat to be asked to form a wine company and to have the Silverado Winegrowers' vineyards at my disposal," she said. Beginning her tenth harvest, Crowe says there's nothing like time to teach you how a site will perform. "It was a great time being able to take some of these vineyards through a cooler cycle of years but 2012 and 2013 were superb and 2014 is shaping up to be a year for high-quality, low-alcohol wines." Garnet 2012 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast Hazelnuts, crème brûlée, toast, lemon cream pie, mango, yellow apple, quince compote, banana, yellow papaya, carnations, mineral powder, river rock. —Gordana Josovic Fun and refreshing, the first approach is reminiscent of a well-balanced key lime pie, cleansing, mouth-watering and lively. The mid palate consists of a touch of honeysuckle and bright Meyer lemon. The finish is serious and long leaving the taste buds asking for more. —Eduardo A. Dingler On the nose is pear, apple skin, beeswax. On the palate is nutmeg, melon skin, more ripe apple, rocky minerality and good acid with a creamy finish. —Ashley Broshious Garnet 2012 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast Roses, violets, Turkish delight, cola nut, cedar, forest floor, pomegranate, hibiscus tea, red and black raspberries, red plum, straw- berry jam, Carneros nose, Sonoma Coast texture, Russian River fruit. —Gordana Josovic Wise and provocative, the initial approach is masculine and robust, tones of dark fruits such as plum and blackberry arise then a handful of dried herbs hits every angle then finishing with a slight cola and raspberry essence. —Eduardo A. Dingler On the nose is violets, bing cherries, clay, raspberries, toasted spices. On the palate, bright raspberries, tart cherries, tobacco and vanilla, medium bodied with a light, bright fin - ish. —Ashley Broshious Garnet 2012 Pinot Noir, Rodgers Creek Sour cherry, black plum, stewed strawber- ries, red currants, beet root, thyme, bay leaf, violets, potpourri, sweet & sour sauce, bay breeze, stone, slate, forest floor. —Gordana Josovic Refined and bold, when you first taste pomegranate and baking spices assault the senses, there is a rich and seductive element in the mid palate, sprigs of thyme, sage and cayenne matched by a lively acid backbone take you through a textured and memorable finish. —Eduardo A Dingler Strawberries, bramble, anise on the nose. More rounded on the palate with cooked ber - ries, loam, good acidity and heavier bodied. —Ashley Broshious A Trio of Tasting Notes Epic Roasthouse Wine Director Gordana Josovic points to a clear shift towards Chardonnay with less apparent oak and higher levels of acidity. Crowe always adds about four to five percent of "Carneros love" from Stanly Ranch to her Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. The combination of mari- time influence and aspect make Rodgers Creek one of Alison Crowe's favorite vineyards. Winemaker Alison Crowe and husband Chris Purdy welcome sommelier Ashley Broshious for an evening at Fish House.