Wine and travel writer Marcy Gordon (wine and portrait photos courtesy of marcygordon.com)
We were extremely fortunate to host a small group of highly regarded wine and travel writers here last August, including Marcy Gordon who authors the award-winning Come for the Wine blog. Gordon recently recapped her visit, pairing it with a lament that she herself always harbored a secret desire to play a certain brass instrument! She writes, “years later, wine is the balm I use to soothe that memory of never getting to play the French horn.”
Gordon, who subsequently channeled her musical regrets into a journalism career with contributions to a variety of publications — including Wine Enthusiast, Forbes Travel Guide, and San Francisco Chronicle — described both the wines and the experience in her post about Bells Up, “Small Lots Made With Heart.”
She writes, “David truly embodies a ‘bells up’ life in every way. When I met David he seemed positively giddy talking about how the winery came to be and his enthusiasm was infectious. I felt at ease immediately upon meeting him.”
Gordon also reviewed several of our wines. Here’s what she had to say about a few of them:
2018 Helios Estate Seyval Blanc: “One might say David is a bit of a Seyval Blanc whisperer, coaxing the grape to its full glory and expression. Grown in volcanic Jory soils, the grapes were aged sur lie for 6 months in stainless steel – delivering a gorgeous lean mouthful full of acidity with bright citrus and crisp apple flavors and a touch of pineapple and papaya on the finish.”
2018 Prelude Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir: “Yow! What a beast of flavor. The color is deep with nose of crushed rose petals and a full and savory mouth full of red currants and cranberries and a hint of mint. Great ratio of acid to fruit, with the body and structure to pair well with hearty foods.”
2016 Titan Pinot Noir: “Exhibiting highly enjoyable quaffability now with great aging potential. Medium body with notes of clove and violets on the nose. Good balance with fruit forward freshness and a layering of flavors tempered by long deep earthy tannins.”
2017 Villanelle Tonnelier Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir: “Although this lovely pinot was named after a duet for French horn and piano — I like to imagine it was named for my favorite assassin — Villanelle, from the TV show Killing Eve. This wine is dark and brooding revealing deep and dark fruit flavors with great balance. It’s beautiful and intense with a killer finish.”
Find out what Gordon had to say about our other wines (2018 Rhapsody Pinot Blanc, 2017 Candide Nemarniki Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir, and 2017 Firebird Syrah) and read her full review of her tasting experience here.
