Elite California Pinot Noir Vineyards Part I: North Coast - Anderson Valley

Ferrington Vineyard

Owners: Schoeneman family
Acres: 74 (45 acres of Pinot Noir, 16 acres of Chardonnay, 12 acres of Gewürztraminer and an acre of the original Sauvignon Blanc.
Years planted: The vineyard was first planted in 1969 by Balvern Vineyards, then sold to Dr. Richard Ferrington in the 1980s, and subsequently acquired by Santa Rosa dermatologist Dr Kurt Schoeneman in 1996 who upgraded the vineyard with the assistance of noted viticulturist Norman Kobler. The modern plantings of Pinot Noir date to 1997.
Location: Just outside the town of Boonville in the southeastern part of the Anderson Valley.
Aspect: A complex array of steep slopes and facings at 300 to 500 feet elevation.
Pinot Noir scions: Dijon 113, 114, 115, 667, 777, and 943. Pommard, Wädenswil 2A, DRC suitcase selection and faux 828.
Soils: Decomposed sandstone, clay and rocks.
Vines: Bilateral cordon trellis, rootstocks 101-14 and SO4.
Farming: Managed by Kurt Schoeneman and Paul Ardzooni. The vines are irrigated.
Winery clients past or present: Arista Winery, Baxter Vinery, Borne, Breggo Cellars, Daniel, Davies, FEL Wines, Flowers, Harmonique, Hess Collection, La Rochelle Winery, Londer Vineyards, MacPhail, Philo Ridge Vineyards, Saxon Brown, Schramsberg, Texture and Twomey and Williams Selyem (the original buyers).
Comments: The owners of Ferrington Vineyard launched their own label, Fathers & Daughters, with their release of a 2012 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the vineyard. John Ferrington died tragically in 2001.

More reviews: www.princeofpinot.com/vineyard/69/.

Maggy Hawk Vineyard

Owner: Jackson Family Wines
Acres: 58
Year planted: 2000
Location: The “deep end” of the Anderson Valley amongst towering coastal redwoods. One of the closest vineyards to the Pacific Ocean in the Anderson Valley (16 miles).
Aspect: A complex array of steep slopes and facings at 300 to 500 feet elevation.
Pinot Noir scions: Several distinct blocks of clones including Pommard, Wädenswil 2A, and Dijon 113, 115, 667, and 777.
Soils: Well-drained, , low-nutrient, decomposed sandstone (Bearwallow and Wolfey).
Vines: Spacing 8’ x 5’ to 9’ x 5’, with 978-1102 vines per acre on VSP trellises.
Farming: The vineyard is often subjected to wind and fog, and an early threat of rain and frost. The vines struggle to ripen with yields often less than 2 tons per acre. Management lives on site.
Winery clients: None, a monopole.
Comments: Maggy Hawk is named after one of Barbara Banke’s favorite winning thoroughbred horses.The bottlings are named after thoroughbred horses including Jolie, Afleet, Unforgettable, Hawkster, Graceful Lady, and Stormin’. For many years, the bottlings were often primarily single clone Pinot Noir but this has been modified more recently. The Jolie bottling of clone 115 has always been my favorite. A second label, WindRacer Pinot Noir, is also produced and sourced from Maggy Hawk Vineyard. A Pinot Noir Blanc was offered from Edmeades Vineyard under the Maggy Hawk label in 2018. Grapes have been sourced since the 2017 vintage for a Dundee Hills Pinot Noir under the Maggy Hawk label.

More reviews: www.princeofpinot.com/vineyard/978/.

Morning Dew Ranch

Owner: Founder Burt Williams of Williams Selyem fame sold the ranch to Napa Valley’s Castello di Amorosa in 2016 (asking price was $1,920,000).
Acres: 13
Years planted: 1999-2001
Location: “Deep end” of the Anderson Valley reached by an old logging road off Highway 128 near Philo.
Aspect: 20% sloping, south-facing hillside at 660-850 feet elevation.
Pinot Noir scions: Pommard, Mariafeld (32), Dijon 115, 777 and faux 828, a DRC-La Tache selection and a Rochioli selection thought to be Pommard 5.
Soils: Silty Franciscan clay underlain with sandstone.
Vines: 8’ x 4’ spacing, VSP trellising, spur pruned.
Farming: Very limited irrigation after the vines were established.
Winery clients: Drew Family Cellars is the only winery client currently. Previous clients included Brogan Cellars, Williams Selyem (last vintage 2016), Whitcraft Winery and Woodenhead.
Comments: When Burt Williams retired from Williams Selyem in 2007, he began to look for property for a vineyard. He noted, “I couldn’t afford a property in the Russian River Valley because we (Williams Selyem) made it too popular (laugh).” Burt produced a Morning Dew Ranch Pinot Noir in 2008 and 2009, with the 2009 vintage becoming the last wine he ever crafted. Castello di Amorosa is currently offering a 2018 Morning Dew Ranch Pinot Noir ($75) but I have not sampled the wine.

More reviews: www.princeofpinot.com/vineyard/340/.

One Acre Vineyard

Owner: Littorai ( purchased in 2016 from the original owner, Rich Savoy, who called it Deer Meadows).
Acres: Deer Meadows Vineyard was 8.5 acres out of which Littorai purchased one acre of fruit and produced the One Acre bottling initially.
Years planted: Originally planted in 1986 and replanted in 2005 due to phylloxera infestation, with additional plantings through the years.
Location: Northeast of Booneville
Aspect: Hilltop at 1,600 feet elevation. Gently rolling, peaceful setting.
Pinot Noir scions: Wädenswil 2A, Dijon 114, 115, 667, 777, faux 828 and Swan (One Acre). Dijon 667, 777 and Swan (The Return).
Soils: Bearwallow loam over marine origin sandstone.
Vines: 8’ x 4’ spacing, VSP trellis.
Farming: Organic and biodynamic methods, not certified.
Winery clients: None, a monopole.
Comments: In 1993, One Acre was the first vineyard-designated Pinot Noir produced by Littorai. Before acquiring the vineyard in 2016, Littorai purchased fruit by a by-the-acre contract, the first of its kind in California. The complete history of the vineyard is complicated as told to me by Ted Lemon. The actual rows from which the One Acre Pinot Noir was produced migrated over the years so that different bits and pieces were used because Rich Savoy wanted Ted Lemon to try another clone or other reasons. The “pool” for One Acre was always the same 3 acres with a continuous exposure and always produced from one acre of vines. The actual mileage is now 3 acres. It became evident with the first vintage after purchase (2017) of the 3 acres, that the 2 acres located at the highest elevation of the property that had a different soil type and a very different aspect, slope and exposure had a personality of its own. The wine produced from these 2 acres is therefore bottled as The Return, in testimony to the fact that the purchase of the property was really a chance to return to it with a fresh set of eyes. The Return was replanted at the same time as the rest of the property (2005). The remaining 3.5 acres of the original Deer Meadows property goes into the Littorai Les Larmes Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. This acreage is continuously evaluated for quality and potential replanting. So, one can refer to One Acre and The Return as specific blocks within Dear Meadows Vineyard or as separate vineyards. In American winespeak these are blocks, but Ted prefers the word vineyard because of their individuality and the reverence that they hold for him. Both One Acre and The Return labeled vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs have been offered by Littorai from this vineyard.

More reviews: www.princeofpinot.com/vineyard/209/.

Savoy Vineyard

Owner: Cliff Lede since 2011. The vineyard was originally established by Rich Savoy.
Acres: 44 with 34 sub-blocks.
Years planted: 1991 5 acres of Pinot Noir and 5 acres of Chardonnay 1992: additional 10 acres of Pinot Noir and 15 acres of Chardonnay 1994 5 acres of Pinot Noir. Some Chardonnay acreage has been grafted over to Pinot Noir so the vineyard is now split between 29 acres of Pinot Noir and 15 acres of Chardonnay.
Location: Northwest of the town of Philo in the cooler end of the Anderson Valley above the Navarro River, just across the old-growth stand of redwoods known as Hendy Woods State Park.
Aspect: Gently sloping southwest-facing terrain at 200-320 feet elevation. Protected on two sides so the vineyard is warmer than most of its neighbors.
Pinot Noir scions: Dijon 113, 114, 115, 667, 777, Wädenswil 2A, Pommard, Calera, Martini 13 and 15.
Soils: Sandy loam and clay loam.
Vines: 7’ x 5’ spacing with a VSP trellis system.
Farming: Littorai’s Ted Lemon has overseen a transition to organic and biodynamic management.
Winery clients: Littorai, Radio-Coteau, Auteur, Peay, Failla, and several others in the past. The owner bottles Pinot Noir and Chardonnay under the FEL label.

More reviews: www.princeofpinot.com/vineyard/70/.

Weir Vineyard

Owners: Bill and Susan Weir
Acres: 7 acres of Pinot Noir
Years planted: 1992 (East Vineyard) and 2000 (West Vineyard)
Location: 7 miles south of Boonville just outside the Anderson Valley AVA and in the Yorkville Highlands AVA.
Aspect: 850 to 1,000 feet elevation, surrounded by heavily wooded forest.
Pinot Noir scions: DRC suitcase selection from Mt. Eden, Wädenswil 2A, Pommard 4 from Rochioli Riverblock.
Soils: A melange of soils that fall into the Yorkville series. Deep, well-drained, schist, brittle sandstone and other sedimentary and metamorphic rocks including quartz. Some percentage of loamy clay keeps the soils united.
Vines: 8’ x 5’ spacing, VSP trellis
Farming: Minimal irrigation
Winery clients: Williams Selyem has been a long-standing client. Others have included Baxter Winery, Bink Wines, Bluxome Street Winery, Brooks Note, Drew Family Cellars, Furthermore, Gabrielli, Roadhouse Winery, SPELL Wines, Talisman and Toulouse.
Comment: A tiny block of Nebbiolo is planted as well.

More reviews: www.princeofpinot.com/vineyard/101/.

Wendling Vineyard

Owner: Paul Ardzooni (Ardzooni Family Wines)
Acres: 20 acres of Pinot Noir
Year planted: 2010
Location: Near the hamlet of Navarro across the road from Kiser Vineyard.
Aspect: A steep, rocky, southwest-facing slope at 335-500 feet elevation, nine miles from the Pacific Ocean. The most northwesterly vineyard in the Anderson Valley AVA.
Pinot Noir scions: Pommard, Dijon 115, faux 828, 943, and 667, and a massale selection from other famous vineyards including an alleged La Táche selection.
Soils: Well-drained, shallow, sandy loam, sandstone, and shale (Ornbaun, Wolfey, and Bearwallow complexes).
Vines: Littorai E Block is spaced 7’ x 3.3’, VSP trellis, 1103P, 420 and 3309 rootstocks.
Farming: The vineyard was planted and is farmed with the utmost precision and care by Paul Ardzooni. Organic and biodynamic farming methods are employed, not certified. The steep terrain obviates the use of machinery for most farming tasks. There are fewer growing degree days here than nearly anywhere on the West Coast resulting in low yields. The elevation allows safety from crippling frost below.
Winery clients: COBB Wines, Copain, Drew Family Cellars, FEL Wines, Littorai, Reeve, Texture Wines, and Westwood Estate. Some production is bottled under the Ardzooni Family Wines label. Littorai’s E Block was chosen by Ted Lemon after the owner acknowledged his role in the original development of the property by giving him a choice of all the blocks in the vineyard. Lemon’s Block E is one with the lowest vigor and stresses easily with water deficits.
Comments: The vineyard is named for the Wendling family who was one of the founding wine families of the Anderson Valley.

2016 Littorai Wendling Vineyard E Block Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

13.4% alc., $80. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Aromas of purple and black berry, earthy flora and spice cake arrive over time in the glass, showing more appeal the following day from a previously opened bottle. Very savory and earth-toned with fruit flavors of plum and spiced blackberries. A moderately firm tannic backbone supports the discreet fruit load. The most striking feature of this wine is the very long and glorious finish. Considerably more charming when tasted from a previously opened bottle the following day. Score: 93

2016 Texture Wendling Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

14.5% alc., 349 cases, $85. Clones faux 828, 943 and a DRC selection. Native fermentation, aged 10 months in 30% new French oak barrels. · Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Reserved aromas of macerated black fruits, prune and oak. A big, full-bodied wine, with ultra ripe flavors of boysenberry, blackberry, black currant and raisin. Silky on the palate with a flood of fruit on the finish. A bold, ripe and fruit-driven style. Score: 90

2019 Drew Wendling Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

13.0% alc., $70. Alleged DRC and LaTache selections. Yield 2 tons per acre. Native yeast, 45% whole cluster fermentation. Aged in 25% new French oak barrels. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. The nose is quite nuanced, with aromas of herb-dusted cherry and raspberry, a grass and floral note, and sweet, burnt tobacco. This is an exceptional wine that offers mid-weight flavors of raspberries and olalliberries with a hint of green tobacco. Very polished in the mouth with integrated tannins and juicy acidity. When tasted the following day from a previously opened bottle, the wine was extraordinary, offering aromas of dark red cherry and cranberry, earthy flora and pipe smoke. Silken and elegant on the palate with a spectrum of red fruits and a very lengthy finish. My notes say, "fantastic." Score: 96

More reviews: www.princeofpinot.com/vineyard/1393/.

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