Monday, June 11, 2012 at The Murray Circle Restaurant

Our dinner—at beautiful Cavallo Point at the Golden Gate Bridge—celebrated one of California's most historically significant and enduring Pinot Noirs, Joseph Swan's Trenton Estate.

The dinner explored Trenton Estate's history—along with the earliest years of the Joseph Swan winery in the late 1960s. Rod Berglund, Swan's winemaker for the past quarter century, joined us, full of stories of 45 years of Swan history.

Swan's Trenton Estate was the seminal Russian River Valley Pinot made from the seminal RRV Pinot vineyard, planted in the 1960s. It must also rank among the top half dozen of the valley's most consistently great wines. And it continues to be made as it was in the 1970s, a legacy of early Pinot Noir in the way that Mayacamas and Heitz are of early Cabernet.

The Setting for the Dinner

The dinner took place at the beautiful Cavallo Point resort, at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Convenient to our clients in both the Bay Area and Wine Country, Cavallo Point is a spectacular setting, with incredible views of San Francisco.

Former chef Joseph Humphrey, who won a Michelin star for the restaurant, hand-picked his successor, Justin Everett, who's already making his own reputation. Justin prepared a special four-course dinner to accompany the wines. And, wine director Gillian Balance handled our precious bottles with her usual care and passion.

The Wines

The wines all came directly from the winery's library and in many cases were the last bottles that will see the light of day. It is no overstatement to say that a tasting like this could probably not be repeated.

2009 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
2007 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
2006 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
2000 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
1997 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot “Pentagon” (only two barrels made)
1995 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
1992 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
1985 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
1984 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
1983 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
1982 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
1976 Jos. Swan Trenton Estate Pinot
1975 Jos. Swan Chardonnay (“still pristine” John Gilman) 
1970 Jos. Swan Gamay (which some observers feel is the greatest wine Joe Swan made)
1968 Jos. Swan Estate Zinfandel