looking for David Coffaro
After our picnic at Trentadue, the WC crew headed over to David Coffaro by way of Yoakim Bridge. Wendy popped into YB for a minute then we were off to see Matt and Dave!
David Coffaro was the first winery that we reviewed for weirdcombinations.com. That plus the fact that we love the place, makes our return seem all the more special. I had ordered a mixed case of 2008 wine futures when we were last here in April. It was finally ready! Futures can be a really good deal if you’re sure that you’ll like the wine. Often futures wines are less expensive to buy ahead. Or if the wine is in super high demand, even if the price isn’t less, sometimes it’s the only way to ensure that you’ll be able to have it at all.
Anyhoo, it was time to go back! Dry Creek Valley really is picture perfect. It was a clear day with warm but comfortable weather, lots of sunshine and we all felt great because of the long weekend. Since we’d been before, we already knew what to expect at David Coffaro. It looks like a pleasant country home on the outside. But inside, the tasting room is a bit of a dump. Ziggy noticed cobwebs on the plants outside and in various corners inside. I was really struck by the football autographs over the bar. They were sort of cool but didn’t fit my fantasy of a vineyard tasting room at all. This time Matt was playing Coldplay’s “Yellow” when we walked in. We’d just been playing the same song in Wendy’s car on the way there! It’s got to be kismet! We asked about Muse but Matt said that he’d played two of their albums earlier that day. I guess that we missed it.
David Coffaro poses with our own Carey
Matt looked good. His hair seemed blonder than our first visit and, if possible, he seemed even funnier and more outgoing than last time. We had the good fortune to meet the real David Coffaro this time! I got a great pic with him and Carey. We tried some of the same wines as earlier in the year with a few changes.
2008 Rose: 50% merlot, 50% mourvedre. $19 The wine was an orange color with a berry smell. It tasted of cherry, strawberry and had a pleasant tartness.
2006 Fresco: this is that crazy mix of 22% alvarelhao, 21% tempranillo, 21% tinto cao, 20% ploursin and 16% carmine. (Carmine was apparently created at UC Davis. The other varietals are all from Europe.) $15 To me this had a barnyard smell. It was medium red with cherry notes. I thought it was a bit sour. Matt described the wine as “vibrant.”
2006 Pinot Noir: 100% pinot. $20 This wine was brownish red with barnyard on the nose. It had medium body with a refined tannic finish. It tasted of cherry. It led some of us to ask “What do you like about pinot?” Uh oh!
2006 Escuro: 36% cabernet sauvignon, 30% tannat, 20% petite sirah and 14% petit verdot. $20 This wine was a very dark purple, really living up to its name: escuro means dark. The group liked this wine a lot but was a bit lost for words. Folks kept saying “This is good” or “This is delicious” or “They’re getting better and better!” Ziggy bought a bottle for later consumption.
you're as cool as ever, Matt!
2006 “My Zin:” 77% zinfandel, 13% petite sirah, 10% cabernet sauvignon. $28 This was dark red with tobacco and caramel notes. It has a long finish that ends with cherry and fruit. We liked it.
2006 Petite Sirah: 100% petite sirah sourced from three different vineyards. $28 This was a black purple color. It finished with root beer notes. Ziggy thought that it was unbalanced. It was my favorite thus far.
2006 ZP2C: This bottom of the barrel Coffaro specialty is a mixture of everything. $22 It was a medium red with a long finish and caramel notes. Just o.k.
2007 Block 4 Dry Creek: 50% zinfandel, 25% petite sirah, 9% carignan, 8% syrah and 8% peloursin. This is their estate wine, made from some of their oldest vines. $35 It was a dark red with mulberry and strawberry on the nose. It tasted of chocolate, blackberry and was very smooth. We all liked this wine. We ordered one for home tasting.
David Coffaro is a really fun place to visit. It’s not stuffy like so many of the other places. Their wines are interesting and often wonderful. The staff is really low key and enjoyable. Plus you can save a lot with their futures program. You should visit them soon.
football memorabilia at Coffaro
Ziggy is looking fine at David Coffaro!
we loved these wines in particular