Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/735024
{ SOMMjournal.com } 49 When tasting Terra d'Oro's current line-up, you find hillside- style fruit concentrations with a prevailing sense of restraint, balance and texturing—and absolutely none of the rugged rusticity often associated with Sierra Foothills wines. To Meyers and Leamy, this is the result of 35 years of meticulous work in the field. "There's nothing sexy about the continuous planting and replanting we've done over the years," says Meyers. "It's a matter of trying different clones of each grape on different rootstocks, with multiple training. Add that to the fact that you can walk 100 yards in any direction and find dramatically different soil types." Changes came to Montevina when the Trinchero family pur - chased the winery in 1988. Monteviña became Terra d'Oro, and there was a determined refocus on Italian varieties. (The Montevina name, now spelled without the tilde, continues as a separate label.) "We asked ourselves, what does well up here in the Foothills?" says Meyers. "At one point we had 40 Italian variet - ies going, in 70 different clones, as little as ten vines apiece. We vinified each and every one individually for over ten years." Leamy adds, "The genesis of all that work was our Teroldego, Aglianico and Sangiovese programs—totally cool varietals that have been very successful for us. We've always done well with Barbera; Cary Gott started work with that grape in the early 1970s, and since then Amador County has become the 'home' of California Barbera." Meyers also acknowledges the failures: "Nebbiolo has been my life-long struggle. We tried four clones on all kinds of root - stocks and training methods and still struggled to produce anything that tastes like Nebbiolo. We had ambitions of pro- ducing whites like Greco di Tufo, but no matter what we did, we could never get that grape to ripen more than 19° [Brix]. "After all these years, we are content with how far we've come. Zinfandel is still our heritage grape—the appropriate expression of the region's place in California history—but we've found our forte in Italian varietals. Amador will remain small, more European in size, compared to other regions in California. But that's okay, because we've got a lot going on!" TERRA D'ORO TASTING NOTES Terra d'Oro 2014 Sangiovese, Amador County (SRP $18) This estate bottling harkens back to the 1800s, when miners of Italian descent first planted this variety. Floral red cherry notes mingle with suggestions of crushed autumn leaves in the nose; silky medium body braced by nervy acid zip. Terra d'Oro 2014 Barbera, Amador County (SRP $18) Like the Sangiovese, an incredible value, with bullseye varietal definition and refreshing restraint (13.5% alcohol and just the faintest whiffs of French oak). Pungent black cherry penetrates the nostrils and svelte, medium-sized body; meaty, savory and brightly tart, pushing the wine's purity of fruit front and center. Terra d'Oro 2014 Aglianico, Amador County (SRP $18) The tart-edged, Italian-style savoriness is pushed even further in this Campania-inspired varietal. Bright red cherry fruit is tinged with notes of pomegranate, red licorice and orange peel. The feel is medium-full (can't be more than 14% alcohol) with real sense of levity, highlighting the citrus and pomegranate sides of the grape. Terra d'Oro 2014 Teroldego, Amador County (SRP $18) From the estate's Burke Ranch; an inky black-purple color and ultra- concentrated nose of ripe plum, dried fig, licorice and slivers of pomegranate, encased in a full, densely layered body. Zesty natural acidity light up chocolaty-thick texturing, welding the deep fruit to firming grape (not oak) tannin. Terra d'Oro 2014 Deaver Vineyard Zinfandel, Amador County (SRP $30) An incredible buy for such a classic varietal extrapolation of 135-year-old vines. Raspberry liqueur nose laced with mace and cracked pepper; dense, meaty, savory, moderately full (14.5% alcohol). Terra d'Oro reds include the signature old-vine Deaver Vineyard Zinfandel as well as "totally cool" Italian varietals Teroldego, Sangiovese, Aglianico and Barbera. Terra d'Oro Vice President and General Manager Jeff Meyers (left) and Winemaker Chris Leamy.