Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/807387
{ SOMMjournal.com } 97 Allyson Gorsuch, Deputy Editor of The Somm Journal, reveals the Château Fonfroide to the group. Tasting Notes: Floral, light and airy with a slightly creamy texture. Persistent finish. A cerebral wine. —Jesus Evangelista Lemon/lime, grapefruit, green apple, minerals with a sulfur like mercap- tan edge. —Phillip Dunn ALTA COLINA 2014 CLAUDIA CUVÉE, Adelaida District, Paso Robles (SRP $35) Revealing a Marsanne, the day's bright- est and breeziest presenter otherwise spends most of her time living on a wafty hill in Paso Robles. As Owner/ Sales & Marketing Director of Alta Colina, Maggie Tillman and her fam - ily live in the cooler Adelaida District, a sub-region that offers some of the highest elevation in the Paso Robles AVA. Said Tillman, "It's a pretty dramatic property. We bought the land in 2003, and our vineyard is at about 1,900 feet in altitude on siliceous shale—130 acres on which we grow Rhône variet - ies organically. My dad, Bob, makes the wine, although we've worked with con- sultants over the years. Our approach in general is pretty hands-off. For this wine we wait until, as my dad likes to say, 'the fruit is hideous looking on the vine,' then it's ready. It's is an age-worthy white, and it's also a great food wine." Although this group of cork dorks were intrigued by the Marsanne, Tillman admits it's a harder sell, but with more reward. "Not many people walk into our tasting room and demand Marsanne, but it's a really easy segue to say, "If you like Chardonnay, I have some - thing else that you'll really like . . .' We make 2,000 cases total a year, and we make 140 cases total of the Marsanne. We're 90 percent direct sales." Maggie Tillman, Owner/Sales & Marketing, Alta Colina. Tasting Notes Plush nose of sandalwood and cin- namon; nice velvety texture. Dry, lean, earthy and complex. —Albert Letizia Plush texture; Bartlett pear, mild acid. Interesting and complex. Fruit and acid is nicely integrated. —Mary Thompson