The Tasting Panel magazine

October 2012

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FAMILY WINEMAKERS "W hen granddad Jack retired from banking, he pur- chased this land in the mid 1940s," explains David and Lana Mounts, whose modern-day 140-acre estate has grown slowly but steadily from Jack Mounts's original 60 acres, established in 1946. The land was open ground, and in the days of the baby boomers and post World War II, when prunes were a diet staple and in very high demand, it was a plum orchard. "I spent years drying prunes in the shed," says Richard Mounts, the patriarch who has ranched the property his entire life. It was in the late 1960s that he thought to plant grapes: Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, the perfect (read: warm) location for these varieties in what would become the Dry Creek Valley appellation. "Anyone who farmed grapes in those days sold to Gallo," David Mounts attests. "And so did we, for 40 years." But as David grew older and more wine-knowledge- able as a vineyard manager, he decided to pursue the winemaking side. So, with his wife Lana, they invested in equipment and, in 2005, began producing and bottling the Mounts Family wines. "It was a natural transition," comments Lana. "We were already farming, managing the vines and doing it all ourselves. We also knew we had a good product." The hillside property stretches along Dry Creek River and Wine Creek in the western part of Dry Creek Valley, smacking up against coastal mountain ranges that break the fog, providing modestly warm days and cool nights. As red-tailed hawks fl y by, their dramatic wingspans can be seen for a distance. They perch, looking for gophers. The estate is breathtaking. And so are the wines. Uncompromising Measures As in most small production, family-owned and -oper- ated wineries, hands-on labor is de rigueur. David and Lana Mounts consider themselves an "all-inclusive" duo, from harvest to bottle. While Zinfandel is a predominant grape on the property, and is iconic for the appellation, the Mounts decided to go the way of the Rhône for their ultimate profi le. "There are only a handful of producers who are growing Rhône varieties here in Dry Creek Valley," states David. And, because of climate, hillside vine- yards, cool nights ("We are cooler at night here than in Paso Robles," Mounts says), and 15 different soil types, they have accomplished what they set out to do in their ideal setting. Mounts Family 2008 Syrah, Dry Creek Valley ($30) Serious and deep, with black tea and soy sauce as the base notes that underlie lavender swathed in black velvet. Inky, licorice- driven, textural and quite meaty. 91 Mounts Family 2008 Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley ($32) It's the attack of the teeth-grabbing blackberries! Beware as terroir ensues! The dust kicks up and a plethora of chalk and dense bit- tersweet chocolate lays claim to your mouth. 93 Mounts Family wines are available through Family Wine Partners. Call 818-322-5050. Tasting the Estate Wines Mounts Family 2010 Viognier, Dry Creek Valley ($24) With its honey-chamomile aromatics and a gratifying mouthfeel (no weighty tug or oiliness), fi rst sip is laden with a wash of lanolin and honeysuckle, while a hint of sage makes its way in, spicing up the fi nish with bright fl owers. 92 Mounts Family 2009 Grenache, Dry Creek Valley ($30) Intricately seasoned with sage and tarragon and textured with nutmeg-spiced plum pudding. The wine is kaleidoscopic in its changing point-of-view, from cranberries to milk chocolate and pomegranate. Great acidity sparks dry tan- nins and a fi nish of blueberry-scented licorice. 94 october 2012 / the tasting panel / 85

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