Cahill Winery - Sebastopol

"A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH, OR HOW HAVE I MISSED THIS WINERY FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS WHEN IT WAS RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE?"

I'm talking about Cahill Winery in Sebastopol. They produced their first Sauvignon Blanc (see wine review) in 2005. They are located on Ross Road off Ross Station Road near Iron Horse. Several times a month for the past 3+ years my rock & roll band, The Liquid Science Diet, has rehearsed at the jam shack on the corner of 116 and Green Valley Rd (near Dutton Estate Winery) and you can literally hear us across the vineyards at Cahill! That would be the under my nose part. This is a true family outfit - Donald Payne is the winemaker and his wife Romey runs the office (2 guesses who the boss is). Don & Romey's moms' both work the rustic yet comfy tasting room, and Duke & Daisy (their short haired German Pointers) work the crowd for attention and/or treats. Cahill makes a boatload of wines and dessert wines (Don is also a master at distilling but I'll save that for another time). Their current releases include the aforementioned 2005 Sauv Blanc, 2006 Sonoma Mountain Sauv Blanc, 2008 Chardonnay, 2008 Rose, 2005 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 2008 Zin , 2007 Cabernet, a Pinot port, a Syrah port, and a late harvest Sauv Blanc. WHEW!!!! Thats allotta wine!! and I haven't started barrel tasting yet!

THE WINES

2005 Sauvignon Blanc Russian River - 800 cases $10.00 bottle. - Balanced fruit and acidity, lemon grass aroma, this unfiltered wine pairs well with food.

2006 Sonoma Mountain Sauvignon Blanc - 500 cases $15 bottle - Light on the nose, full flavored with sweet apple and honeysuckle, this is a full bodied Sauv Blanc that will stand up to time and spicy foods.

2008 Sonoma County Chardonnay - 80 cases around $20 bottle - lightly oaked, solid fruit and well balanced. A very drinkable chard!!

NV Bed of Roses Rose - 200 cases - Made of Syrah and Petit Sirah This wine DOES NOT have the "anti-freeze" aftertaste found in most Rose wines I've tasted. A bargain at $10 bucks.

2008 Zinfandel California - 200 cases $18 bottle - actually the grapes are 50% Alexander Valley and 50% Lake County and this is one of the best Zins I've ever had for under Twenty Bucks! Full fruit flavors envelop the palate with a long and slightly dusty finish. I am looking forward to trying again in 2-3 years.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Cole Ranch Mendocino - 200 cases $15 bottle - I sampled this Cab about a month ago prior to bottling and was very impressed with its bold fruit, structure, and complexity. I'm holding mine until 2012 and I'll keep you posted.

Barrel Tasting Notes
2008 Carignane - I have barrel sampled this fabulous Carignane and if Don enters this in ANY wine competitions it is sure to win BIG. TIME FOR LOU TO MAKE A BOLD PREDICTION --- CAHILL WINERY WILL EITHER WIN A MAJOR WINE COMPETITION OR RECEIVE A "HIGH NUMBER" FROM ONE OF THE BIG TIME WINE RAGS IN THE NEXT 2 YEARS. Remember that you read it here first! Back to wine - I also tasted his 2008 Petit Syrah from the barrel and its a stunner. Both are scheduled for release this month.

Oh Yeah, they also make killer ports and dessert wines so I try to make this the final stop on the tour. This is a place you need to check out - call Stacy and we'll hook you up.

Till next time - Lou

Cahill Winery -
4950 Ross Road, Sebastapol, CA
Tel: 707-823-1335