2010 Bedrock Heirloom Compagni Portis Vineyard

The 2010 White Compagni Portis Heirloom is a field blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Trosseau Gris, Chardonnay and other varieties from a vineyard planted in 1954. Exotic white flowers, white peaches, lychee, mint, lime and crushed rocks are some of the many notes that flow from this gracious, mid-weight white. This is a hauntingly beautiful white from Morgan Twain-Peterson. Conceptually the Compagni Portis bears a strong resemblance to the field blend whites that are still found in Alsace. It is one of the very finest values in California. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015. Morgan Twain-Peterson is one of the most impressive young winemakers I have ever met, and it’s not just because he grew up the son of a famous producer. Making wines at this level requires talent, passion, hard work and a great palate, none of which is easily inherited. Along with Mike Officer of Carlisle, Twain-Peterson is on a mission to rediscover what he calls California’s old-vine “heritage” vineyards. These historic sites planted by California’s early immigrants, often home to unknown field blends, remain some of the most fascinating vineyards in California. Officer and Twain-Peterson were tired of seeing these old sites gobbled up by industrial-scale wineries, so they decided to do something about it. Bravo. Vintage 2010 was not kind to Twain-Peterson. Five vineyards were totally scorched by the late summer heat spikes and the crop from those sites were lost. But back to the positive, and there is plenty of that here. This lineup includes several wines that deliver phenomenal quality for the money. Tel. (707) 364-8763; www.bedrockwineco.com

Bright yellow. Pungent aromas of grapefruit zest, beeswax, candied ginger and bee pollen. Fresh, light and stony, with taut, dry flavors of citrus pith, pear and candied flowers. There's a waxy quality here that reminds me of Savennieres. Shows impressive energy on the long, chewy finish, which echoes the waxy note. This is a field blend of more than a dozen varieties, many of them virtually extinct, but it's primarily gewurztraminer and trousseau gris.