Famous for their California style wines, the vintages Gilroy’s Satori Cellars develops are big and bold with plenty of ripe fruit, bursting with flavor. Satori is like an open-air cantina that you might find in the Caribbean. Like their tagline, “There’s always a party at Satori.” It’s the only winery in our region with bar stools that shimmy up to the shaded tasting bar.
On a recent visit, our party sat a table beside the tasting area where a was family celebrating their daughter’s 21st birthday. Nearby, a big group of picnickers took up two colorful umbrella tables pushed together. And in a secluded deck area behind the tasting area was Sandy Moller, one of the winery owners and a certified yoga instructor, holding a gentle yoga class.
Our party did a vertical tasting of their 2012 and 2013 Zinfandels ($30)—both gold medal winners and made from their “four clones” and petite sirah vines grown on the property. Made with over 90 percent zinfandel grapes, both wines have a beautiful aroma and taste of dark fruit and spice. Not surprisingly, the 2012, which aged for a year longer, was the smoother and silkier of the two. But the 2013 was my favorite, having a bit more complexity and bright fruity flavor.
Also on our tasting list was a 2014 Chardonnay of the Pink Ray ($21), a 2012 merlot of the Violet Flame ($26) and a 2012 Petite Sirah Ha-Ha ($31).
