Here in the desert, it’s amazingly easy to let one’s mind drift to places of cooler climes, and today it floats over to the Sonoma Coast. There, about mid-morning, a welcoming sun ray appears as a fogdog through the departing night’s ocean mist. It may feel slightly warm, but that wool sweater is still quite welcome. Don’t you wish!
So if you can’t visit the Sonoma Coast today, there’s one way to bring those fogdog recollections home, with wine. And the Sonoma Coast/West Sonoma vintners aim to please.
One of West Sonoma’s most popular wineries, Joseph Phelps’ Freestone Vineyards, has even created a brand they call Fogdog featuring both a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay. Depending on which type of fog (red or white) you’re looking for, they have a bottle for you. Either one is sure to enhance your day-dreaming “experience of place” right out to the fog of the Sonoma vineyards.
Fogdog Pinot Noir sports a medium complexity bouquet of earthy dried cherries plus a little cola. It has an excellent range of red fruit and acidity that develops in the glass, even after an hour or so. Later on, if you notice a little cedar and salt air as you enjoy this gem, you’ve temporarily visited the cool coastal redwood forest surrounding the vineyard. Not a bad way to leave the desert (figuratively of course).
On the lighter side, the Fogdog Chardonnay starts out with a nice bouquet with oak, oranges, and a little peach. But this changes slowly as the citrus intensifies and a little mineral creeps in, not unlike sand moistened by the incoming tide. With a body of green apples and well-centered acidity, it is definitely a refreshing Chardonnay. Takes you to a beach where the fog clings until well after lunch. Bring it on!
The Pinot is stocked at some of the Phoenix area Total Wine stores for around $25 and you can pick up the Chardonnay at other wine shops for about the same price. If you compare them in a taste test against Freestone’s more expensive labels, you will discover what to expect for more $$ in Pinots and Chardonnays as defined by the same winemaker.
Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com
View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.
