© 1997 JDM Enterprises DRY CREEK UPDATEby Jerry D. MeadTime flies when you're tasting wine. Dry Creek Vineyards and founder Dave Stare are celebrating a 25th anniversary this year, yet it seems like only yesterday that Dry Creek was the upstart small winery debuting in Sonoma County. In fact Dry Creek was one of the first new wineries in Sonoma during the wine boom of the early seventies. Dave Stare is a M.I.T. civil-engineering grad who decided he'd rather make wine, came west, took some viticulture courses at U.C. Davis and planted roots (literally) in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County. The wines are the best they've ever been. Dry Creek 1996 "Sonoma" Fume Blanc ($11.50) Really pleasant, honest to goodness Sauvignon Blanc varietal fruit (Fume Blanc is simply a synonym for SB). It's a no-oak style with mild grapefruit and alfalfa aromas and flavors and enough acidity to handle shellfish or swim-fish. Rating: 89/85 Dry Creek 1996 Reserve Fume Blanc ($15) The wood version. Here we have 100 percent barrel-fermentation and additional barrel aging to boot. You're still aware it's Sauvignon Blanc, but the herbaceousness moves to the background and oak is up front and making a major statement in the smoky-toasty department. Rating: 92/86 Dry Creek 1996 "Sonoma" Chardonnay ($15) Another barrel-fermented wine, but the oak is still somewhat subtle here. Fruit is in the citrus mold with some vanilla and spice. Especially pleasant and lingering vanillin aftertaste. Rating: 88/85 Dry Creek 1996 Reserve Chardonnay ($20) Definitely worth the extra $5. Everything is more intense, wood, fruit flavor and length of finish. Fruit is riper and richer, apple and tropical notes and much more oak presence. Rating: 93/86 Dry Creek 1995 "Sonoma" Merlot ($15) A little young and grapey in the nose, but with fully developed dark cherry flavors, complemented by warm wood tones and hints of anise. Rating: 90/88 Dry Creek 1995 "Sonoma" Zinfandel ($15) This is the real red stuff, with spicy plum and berry flavors, in a medium bodied style that is meant to be heartily consumed...not sipped. Rating: 92/88 Dry Creek 1995 "Dry Creek Valley" Meritage ($25) A blend of 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 percent Cabernet Franc and 6 percent Petit Verdot, make this one a very stylish and complicated red wine. Dusty, earthy, berry flavors dominate. Mildly astringent. Rating: 89/84 Dry Creek 1995 "Sonoma" Cabernet Sauvignon ($17) A biggy. Intense and very complex blackberry and cassis fruit flavors. Nicely oaked. Rating: 90/86 Dry Creek 1995 "Dry Creek Valley" Cabernet Sauvignon ($27) Big and ripe, almost to the point of jamminess, but not overripe. Black cherry and black currant fruit. Lots of oak; velvety smooth tannins. Rating: 95/84 Dry Creek 1994 "25th Anniversary" Cabernet Sauvignon ($30) Dave Stare screwed up. There are fewer than 1000 cases of this very good wine in the fancy anchor-etched (Dave is sailor every chance he gets) bottle and he could have sold every bottle at $50 or more. You might want to pick up yours before he wises up. Super-intense black fruit, including blackberry, black cherry, cassis, dark plum, the whole array. Really rich and intense and mouthfilling. A totally satisfying red wine experience that can only improve with 5-10 years of bottle age. Rating: 95/88 Dry Creek wines have good national distribution. For info on the nearest retail outlet: Dry Creek Vineyards, P.O. Box "T", Healdsburg, CA 95448 (800) 864-9463.
NATE CREEKThe brand is from Sebastiani, but it cannot be called a second label...it's a third or fourth or fifth label. What Sebastiani does is try to create wines for every level of wine drinker and every wine drinking budget. The Nate Creek (as they call the brand around the winery) wines are value wines, filling a price niche that has virtually disappeared during the recent wine shortage. The reds don't have vintage dates to allow some blending of years to make more palatable inexpensive wines. Nathanson Creek 1996 White Zinfandel ($5.50 or less) Bright strawberry and cherry fruit; semi-sweet. Poolside or cocktail wine. Too sweet to accompany food for my taste, but maybe not for yours. Rating: 85/84 Nathanson Creek 1996 Chardonnay ($6.50) Soft citrus fruit but with some highly aromatic overtones. I suspect a little Riesling or Muscat in the blend to heighten fruit. Rating: 84/86 Nathanson Creek NV Pinot Noir ($6.50) Very light in color, body and flavor intensity. Flavors are light cranberry. A good first red wine for a beginner; will take a light chill. Rating: 82/86 Nathanson Creek NV Cabernet Sauvignon ($6.50) Another light-bodied, user-friendly quaffer, with a varietally correct berry and green olive flavor. Rating: 83/90
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Look for Nathanson Creek wines at your supermarket. Wines are scored using a unique 100 point system. First number rates quality; second number rates value.  HOME
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