Fetzer Vineyards

Mendocino winemaking veteran Dennis Patton has made Fetzer’s Coro from the beginning, and has kept the program the most consistent of any Coro producer: the same four grapes in the same percentage order (Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache Noir), with similar grape sources and the same 14 months of oak aging. The two shifts I spotted in 2003 are that the oak is all French (rather than a mix of French and American), and the alcohol is a full point lower than in 2001 (Coro’s debut vintage). Perhaps these factors help explain why I like the Fetzer Coro better this year than ever before.

As you might expect from a thoroughly experienced pro with the additional advantage of making two Coros every year (Patton also makes the Golden Vineyards version), this comes across as the most assured, seamless bottling among the 2003 Coros. That’s not to say predictable – this has an unusually meaty, earthy foundation for the concentrated, ripe black fruit flavors. The wine enters your mouth sweet, then expands in savory dimensions with baking spices, black tea flavors and warm, rolly tannins. The wine is well structured, with the finish mirroring the sweet opening. The wine’s grip on your tongue suggests it has room to relax into something even more supple and enjoyable down the road.

Reviewed July 4, 2006 by Thom Elkjer.