La Rochelle Tasting Room, February 16, 2013

Winery - 5 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Sit-down tasting paired with cheeses.  Elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the state’s best areas.
www.lrwine.com

If you enjoy a fine glass of Pinot Noir and you are in the east bay, then this is the place for you.  The wine makers at La Rochelle know where to get good grapes and they know what to do with them.  They source grapes from many of California’s best areas:  Russian River, Santa Lucia Highlands, Sonoma Coast, and Carneros to name a few.  All these grapes eventually find their way to Tesla Road in Livermore Valley, where you can taste them at the La Rochelle tasting room.  I was introduced to the La Rochelle winery by my sister on a my first Livermore Valley tasting trip and I immediately sensed the quality of the winemaking here.  I have been back a number of times since and have found the experience and the wines to be consistent each year.

The tasting room at La Rochelle

In contrast to the McGrail tasting room, the La Rochelle tasting room is positively humble.  While comfortably laid out and decorated, the tasting room itself is fairly minimalist, albeit well lit.  French doors and large windows admit ample amounts of natural light.  Hardwood floors reflect a warm glow on the honey-mustard colored walls of the tasting room.  An array of tables awaits tasters to come, sit and enjoy a flight of wines.  Tables are covered with linens to soften the feel and lend the place the feeling of a café.  By contrast, the outside of the building looks just slightly more stylish than a manufactured home.  The walls are plain with wood siding, simple trim around the doors, and a porch roof extending about 8 feet outwards.  Fortunately, the winery’s investment goes into the wines rather than the façade of the building.

Inside the La Rochelle tasting room

In partnership with Steven Kent wines, the La Rochelle tasting room offers two flights.  You can opt for the Bordeaux varietals in the Steven Kent lineup, or the Burgundian varietals in the La Rochelle lineup.  I opted for the La Rochelle flight, which started with a 2010 Chardonnay, a 2005 Pinot Noir from the library, a 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir, and a 2009 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir.  Although the 2005 was in a lovely state for drinking now, my favorite for its flavor profile was the Dutton Ranch.  Each flight of wines is paired with a plate of cheese samples to experience the food/wine pairing possibilities.  Also, each wine is poured into varietally-appropriate stemware, depending upon the wine flight selected.

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 5 and the wines offered as a 7.  This is consistent with my previous visits.