welcome to Gloria Ferrer

Some of the WC crew went to Gloria Ferrer over the holiday weekend. GF is most well known for their sparkling wines though turns out they have a large selection of still wine too. This place was developed in the 1980’s by the Ferrers of Spain. No strangers to the wine business, the family has connections in winemaking in Spain for hundreds of years. There they own the famous Freixenet sparkling wine company.

Gloria Ferrer winery is beautiful; located at the foot of the mountains overlooking the southern part of Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Carneros. Since the weather was perfect, we sat outside on their ample vista terrace and tasted the wine while admiring the view.

stunning vista at Gloria Ferrer

They offer tastings of their still and sparkling wines on an à la carte basis. You pay between $2 and $3 for a 2oz taste of a still wine (though it comes by the glass or bottle). The sparkling was only by the glass or bottle. Glasses of sparkling ranged from $5 to $10 each. You must order at the bar indoors and then the wines get delivered to your table. Ordering was the only sour point of the experience. The clerk behind the wine bar seemed short and a bit surly to us. Perhaps she was having a bad day? Or maybe she was tired of describing how to order the wines? We didn’t care what the reason. We simply didn’t like her negativity.

Still wines:

selection of Gloria Ferrer still wines

2005 Rust Rock Pinot Noir: This was indeed a rust color. It smelled “bloody” to us. It had a metallic taste with a long finish. We didn’t really like this one.

2005 Gravel Knob Pinot Noir: This had a cherry color with a classic “barnyard” pinot aroma. It was fruity with cherry dominating. Some of us noted caramel too.

2005 José S. Ferrer Pinot Noir: This was cherry red, too, with barnyard and tobacco on the nose. It was a bit flat in structure with an earthy and peppery taste.

2006 Carneros Pinot Noir: This was cherry red. It was lighter than the others with cherry notes and an earthy loamy finish.

2004 Carneros Syrah: This was a purple red color. We didn’t get much on the nose. It had medium body. To us it had “California terroir for sure!”

2006 Carneros Merlot: This was deep red with medium body. It was earthy, with cherry and plum. The long finish ended with spice box and pepper. Hegui said “Oooh! Bad!”

2008 Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé: This was a transparent orange color with green apple on the nose. It tasted a bit sour with not much fruit and a minimal finish.

Sparkling wines:

some Gloria Ferrer sparklers

1998 Carneros Cuveé: 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. This was a transparent yellow with fine bubbles. It had a leathery smell. The taste was sour apple, overripe tropical fruit and metal. I liked it a lot but the other two tasters disagreed.

2005 Bruit Rosé: 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay. This was transparent orange with fine bubbles. It smelled sweet. Surprisingly it actually tasted of orange as well as floral.

2002 Royal Cuveé: 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay. This was a transparent pale yellow with fine bubbles. It wasn’t nearly so bubbly as the others though perhaps it was just our glass. It smelled of barnyard and tasted of green apple, peach and pineapple. Deby in particular liked this one.

We really enjoyed sipping our wines with a sourdough baguette and some fresh goat cheese. The sunshine and view were wonderful, and it was delightful catching up. The wines themselves didn’t excite overall. We wouldn’t rush back.

some Gloria Ferrer large format bottlings