Briceland: A Pleasing Surprise from Humboldt County

I recently attended a casual blind tasting of various Pinot Noirs and two wines from Briceland Vineyards made an impression on me. I later formally tasted the wines and confirmed my attraction.

Bricelands Vineyards is located in the tiny town of Briceland in southern Humboldt County north of Mendocino County in Northern California. It is not one of the regions that first comes to mind when you think about California Pinot Noir, having considerable more notoriety for a well-known and illegal mood-altering substance. Many maps of California depicting the major winegrowing regions do not include Humboldt County. That said, I have had some very credible Humboldt County Pinot Noirs from Elk Prarie Vineyards and Woodenhead. Several years ago I wrote about Whitethorn Winery which was located in southern Humboldt County and was launched with the assistance of Joe Collins of Briceland Vineyards. Winemaker Tasha McCorkle McKee had a cult following for the Pinot Noir she made, but her sources were Hirsch Vineyard and Hyde Vineyard, both far removed from Humboldt County (her last wines were from the 2002 vintage, although I have read reports that she has resumed her winemaking career).

Humboldt County wine country is about a four hour drive on Highway 101 north of San Francisco. Quietly, the region has developed a thriving wine industry with close to thirty wineries (many indicated by red numbered circles on the map below). At least ten of the wineries produce Pinot Noir. Briceland Vineyards is shown on the map as red dot #3, just 6 miles west of Redway on Bricelands Shelter Cove Road.

Briceland Vineyards was founded in 1985 and today, winemaker Joe Collins and his lifelong partner Maggie Carey, operate this modest, 1,500 case winery. Collins, who trained at University of California at Davis and has over thirty-five years of winemaking and winegrowing experience, is committed to producing wines from the cool coastal regions of Humboldt County and neighboring Mendocino and nearby Lake counties. He has a fine palate as indicated by becoming crowned individual Grand Champion at the California Wine Tasting Championships in Anderson Valley in 1990 and 1991.

Collins pioneered grape growing in southern Humboldt County when he planted an experimental vineyard in the region in the 1970s. He was to be involved in the planning, establishment and management of practically all the early vineyards in the area. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are most suited to the region. The best sites are south or southwestern facing slopes near 1,500 feet above sea level surrounded by towering redwoods. These locations offer a lower incidence of frost at springtime, a mild temperate climate and rocky soils with ideal drainage.

Most of the red wine production at Briceland Vineyards is Pinot Noir, sourced from neighbors who farm tiny hillside vineyards in the Redway and Myers Flat areas. Pinot Noir is made in small 2 to 3 ton lots, fermented in small bins, and punched down by hand. Aging is carried out for one to two years in French oak barrels. The white wine lineup includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and méthode champenoise sparkling wine, all grown in southern Humboldt County. Arneis, a rare Italian varietal, is also produced from grapes grown in Mendocino County. Collins’ stepson, Andrew Morris, is the apprentice winemaker.

In 2010, Briceland Vineyards won Best Winery, Best of Show, and Best Wine from Humboldt Grapes awards at the Humboldt County Fair as well as medals at the Orange County and California State fairs.

Briceland Vineyards wines are not sold directly online, but you can contact Andrew Morris for wine purchases as well as a private tour and tasting (707-923-2429 or andrew@bricelandvineyards.com). The wines are available through retail outlets and restaurants in Humboldt County, and can be tasted and purchased at Persimmons Tasting Room in Redway. Open houses are held Thanksgiving and Memorial Day weekends. A Wine Club offers significant discounts.

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Ponzi Vineyards: 40 Years

One of a handful of distinguished Oregon winemaking pioneers, Richard Ponzi was an unlikely candidate. He was an engineer who designed amusement park rides after moving to California in 1962 with his spouse Nancy shortly after their wedding. When Richard Ponzi was a youngster, his immigrant Italian father had made wine at home in Michigan with grapes shipped in from California. Upon arriving in California, he began to make wine at his home in Los Gatos as part of the family tradition and became intrigued with Pinot Noir. Knowing that Oregon had a climate similar to that of Burgundy, he packed up the family and moved to Portland while he began a search for an appropriate vineyard site to produce Pinot Noir.

The Ponzis bought a 20-acre farm southwest of Beaverton, a suburb of Portland, planning to make wine for the local market in Portland. As part of the hippie generation, they were committed to living off the land. Vineyard planting began in 1970 and the first wines were released commercially in 1974. By the 1990s, Ponzi was crafting world-class Pinot Noir and the reputation of Ponzi Vineyards soared. The Ponzi Reserve Pinot Noirs of the early 1990s were a revelation to the wine world. My Oregon wine epiphany was a 1992 Ponzi Reserve Pinot Noir made from a single vineyard that was 18 years old at the time.

Ponzi’s first small winery had no master plan and periodically a new addition would be added in a seemingly haphazard manner. To look at the original winery today, it seems remarkable that nearly 30,000 cases of wine were produced there at one time. Ponzi dreamed of a large, modern winery of his own design and this came to fruition in 2008 with the completion of Collina del Sogno, or “Hillside of Dreams,” a 30,000-square-foot green facility in the Chehalem Mountains between Beaverton and Newberg, built on four tiers with a gravity-fed production system capable of producing 50,000 cases of wine annually.

The Ponzis have always been innovators. They were instrumental in obtaining state permission to allow wineries and adjoining tasting rooms to be constructed on agricultural land in Oregon. Together they helped found the Oregon Winegrowers Association and the Oregon Wine Advisory Board (currently known as the Oregon Wine Board). In 1984, they established Bridgeport Brewing Company, Oregon’s first craft brewery, and in 1998 established a highly successful regional wine bar and bistro in downtown Dundee. Nancy Ponzi was one of the key founders of the International Pinot Noir Celebration, the Oregon Pinot Camp, and the ¡Salud! Oregon Wine Auction which provides health care for Oregon’s seasonal vineyard workers. Ponzi Vineyards has been at the vanguard of sustainable viticulture in Oregon, one of the first to obtain LIVE certification in 2000 for the existing winery and all the vineyards.

Richard and Nancy are now retired from the day-to-day management of Ponzi Vineyards, having passed on the responsibility to their three children, Winemaker Luisa, Sales and Marketing Director Maria and Operations Manager Michel. On August 21, 2010, the Ponzi family hosted a 40th Anniversary Gala at Collina del Sogno. The royalty of Oregon winemakers were in attendance including speakers David Adelsheim, Dick Erath, Myron Redford and Susan Sokol Blosser.

Ponzi Vineyards now farms 120 estate acres in the Chehalem Mountains. All vineyards, with the exception of the original Estate Vineyard, are situated on the North slope of the appellation. Combined with purchased grapes, production amounts to 50,000 cases of multiple varietals including Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, and true to the Ponzi’s Italian roots, Rosato, Dolcetto, Arneis and Vino Gelato.

Luisa Ponzi grew up working in the family’s vineyards. She had intentions of becoming a doctor and was majoring in biology in college when she realized that medicine was not her calling. She switched to enology, studied in Burgundy, and took over the winemaking reigns from her father in 1993. She has had an impressive run of superb wines through the years while juggling her winemaking career with motherhood (she has four children with spouse and noted winemaker Eric Hamacher).

Ponzi Vineyards wines are sold through the winery’s online store, at the tasting room still located at the original winery site at 14665 SW Winery Lane in Beaverton (the new winery is not open to the public), and through national retail channels distributed by Willson Daniels Ltd. Visit the website at www.ponziwines.com.

I recently tasted through the 2008 lineup of Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noirs along with a couple of older wines. Luisa has a touch with Pinot Noir and the wines were superb. Luisa called the 2008 vintage in Oregon “magical.” Like many other premium Pinot Noirs from the 2008 vintage, cellaring is advised for optimum enjoyment. The hallmarks of Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir are balance and consistency.

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More Sips of 2008 Oregon Pinot Noir

Wine enthusiasts have tired of vintage hype, but in the case of Oregon’s 2008 vintage for Pinot Noir, all the exalted publicity is fully warranted. What sets this vintage apart is a combination of perfect ripeness and luscious flavors at lower alcohol levels (the wines rarely cross over 14%) and impeccable balance that predicts age ability. Veteran Oregon winemakers liken the vintage to 1999, when late harvest sunshine allowed vintners to pick leisurely. Probably the only negatives of this vintage are the reduced yields making top wines challenging to source, and the need for many of the best wines to be cellared for at least five years, delaying the instant gratification that pinotphiles have become accustomed to with Oregon vintages of the past. When you taste, the wines are flirty, teasingly good now, but clearly in need of time to reveal the complexities that are deep within. There were a good many spectacular 2008 Pinot Noirs that I reviewed over the past year, but some have only recently reached the marketplace, and some noted producers, such as Anam Cara and Cristom, are still working through their inventory of 2007s (which, by the way, are ready to drink now while your 2008s rest).

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Paul Lato: Central Coast Pinot Maestro

After last year’s World of Pinot Noir, I stopped by Central Coast Wine Services in Santa Maria to taste barrel samples of Paul’s 2008 Pinot Noirs, shortly before they were scheduled to be bottled. Paul said the 2008 wines were the best he has made to date and likened them to Julia Roberts: charming but plenty of structure in the right places. Now, after a year in bottle, I have re-tasted the wines, and they have certainly fulfilled their promise of potential greatness. Each wine is distinctive and reflective of its site.

Paul makes very small lots of distinguished vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs (in 2008 he also crafted “Matinee,” a blended, inexpensive bottling), Syrah and Chardonnay. The wines are highly allocated through a mailing list at www.paullatowines.com. The Lato style epitomizes elegance, restraint, sophistication and Pinot realism in the Chambolle vein. One of my favorite California producers.

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Rhys Vineyards: Three Vintage Tasting

Rhys Vineyards has caused quite a buzz among the pinoiriste community for its innovative viticulture and terroir-driven wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rhys farms five estate vineyards scattered through the Skyline subregion of the Santa Cruz Mountains, all within a 25-minute drive of each other, and a single estate vineyard in Anderson Valley. It is said that Pinot Noir thrives on the edge and these vineyards represent special challenges to successful winegrowing. The cost of developing the vineyards has been substantial and it has taken several years to learn the vagaries of each vineyard site, and the appropriate mix of Pinot Noir selections and clones best suited to each microclimate.

The model at Rhys is clearly Burgundian and more specifically, the Domaines of DRC and Dujac. Several of the vineyards are planted to close spacing using a variety of Dijon and California heritage clones, duplicating the clonal diversity approach in Burgundy. Significant whole cluster fermentation is the rule, making these wines less appealing on release, much like their Burgundy brethren. Meticulous farming allows grapes to be picked early yet possess phenolic ripeness, so that alcohols are under 14.0% and sometimes astonishingly low (under 13.0%). There is no compromise in vinification that would lead to early consumer-friendly drink-ability.

A new underground winery was completed in time for the 2010 harvest. Grapes enter the cave entrance and the finished wines exit through another opening in the cave. This is a showpiece winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains, bringing much-needed prestige and notoriety to this often unheralded region.

Proprietor Kevin Harvey conferred the name Rhys Vineyards on his project, using a family name which is the Welsh spelling of Reese. He planted his Home Vineyard in 1995 and four additional vineyards (Family Farm, Alpine Road, Horseshoe Ranch and Skyline) between 2001 and 2005. The Family Farm Vineyard and Home Vineyard are located about 200 feet below the demarcation of the official Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, so they are not strictly in the AVA, and the wines from these two vineyards are labeled San Mateo County. Despite this incongruity, the wines from these two vineyards are Santa Cruz Mountains in character. A sixth vineyard, named Bearwallow, is a 20-acre site in the cool, “deep” end of the Anderson Valley, with 7 acres of established Pinot Noir vines. Additional planting is scheduled along with refurbishment of the existing vineyard. The first vintage from this vineyard was 2008. The first Santa Cruz Mountains estate wines were released in 2004.

Winemaker Jeff Brinkman (below) is bright and talented, having majored in biochemistry in college and learned winemaking on the job, beginning as a cellar rat in 1996. Javier Tapia Meza is the viticulturist. Farming is strictly organic with biodynamic influences.

The winemaking regimen for the estate Pinot Noirs is as follows. The grapes undergo a 10 to 14 day cold soak under reductive conditions. The cooling jackets are then shut off and natural fermentation ensues. The cap is punched down three times a day by foot treading, a method chosen for its gentleness. Fermentation lasts about 3 weeks. The ferment is pressed off with a basket press and the juice gravity fed into barrel. MLF is allowed to continue on its own. Blending takes place either before or after the next harvest after the wine spends approximately 14 months in barrel. All barrels are sourced from Francois Frères and are crafted from 4-year air-dried staves to insure there is no barrel variability. The percentage of new oak varies from 25% to 75% depending on a number of factors. The estate wines are all unfined and unfiltered.

I recently tasted through both Alesia (Rhys Vineyards wines from declassified or purchased grapes) and Rhys Vineyards wines from the 2006, 2007, and 2008 vintages. Not every wine produced was sampled as many have only come into full production recently and were either offered in minuscule amounts or not available at all to me. I have tasted all three vintages at the winery and my notes are in previous issues of the PinotFile (www.princeofpinot.com/article/795/, www.princeofpinot.com/article/633/).

Rhys Vineyards wines are highly allocated and available only through the winery’s mailing list. More wine should become available as the vineyards mature and replanting brings vines on line. The winery is not currently open for tasting or tours. Visit the informative website at www.rhysvineyards.com.

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WesMar: 2008 Garagiste Pinot Noir

WesMar was launched as a bonded winery over ten years ago in the mold of the original Williams Selyem winery. Consistency and quality are the hallmarks at this small garagiste winery, with matrimonial partners Kirk WESley Hubbard and Denise MARy Selyem self-admitted control freaks who manage every detail of the winemaking process from sorting to bottling. The preferred style is a more feminine Pinot Noir, created by picking grapes with a good amount of natural acidity. No additives are employed, and the wines are neither fined or filtered. Kirk and Denise are compulsive about cellar sanitation. If a wine does not meet their expectations, it is declassified and sold as bulk, such as the entire smoke tainted 2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and the 2008 Hellenthal Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

With WesMar’s latest fall 2010 release of 2008 Pinot Noirs, a 10th Anniversary Special Offer is available. When you order a case of the 2008 vintage, you receive a baker’s dozen which includes a bottle of the outstanding 2007 Hellenthal Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

Denise said that her vineyard sources were not hit hard by the extended frost in April of 2008 in Sonoma County. The growing season was cool and the resulting wines “are full flavored with a jam-like concentration, providing moderate tannins and acidity with supple textures.” Phone the winery to arrange a tasting or to order wines (707-829-8824). The website is www.wesmarwinery.com. All the wines are also available in magnum format at twice the cost of a single bottle.

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Mahoney Vineyards: Modern Wines with a History

Francis Mahoney can claim over 36 years of experience growing and producing wines in the Carneros region. He established Carneros Creek Winery in 1972 with his wife Kathleen and partner Balfour Gibson. With the goal of making Burgundian-styled wines, the trio built a winery in 1973, the first new winemaking facility in Carneros since the repeal of Prohibition. The photo below shows Francis Mahoney at the Legends of Pinot Noir Seminar during the 2009 Pinot Days in San Francisco.

Mahoney was unique among Pinot Noir pioneers of the 1970s in that he realized besides climate and soil, clones were an important factor in creating great Pinot Noir in California. From 1975 to 1985, Mahoney and Curtis Alley, a professor at the University of California at Davis and a viticulture specialist, conducted experiments on a small 1.5-acre plot planted to various clones near the Carneros Creek Winery. The Carneros Creek Winery Clonal Trial was meant to compare clones from the University of California at Davis (so-called “clean-stock”) with clones not sourced from the clean-stock program. Valuable data was collected on clonal performance and many other vineyards were planted with budwood from this trial. No single clone was considered best. Mahoney remarked, “We liked different clones like we like different children. They had their own personalities and a little bit of this with a little bit of that makes a more interesting wine. We concluded that we would not just plant one clone in a vineyard.” Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the study followed.

Mahoney was instrumental in founding the Carneros Quality Alliance (now the Carneros Wine Alliance), an organization of winegrowers and wineries in Carneros. During the 1980s and 1990s, Mahoney planted the Mahoney Ranch Vineyard surrounding his home, and Las Brisas Vineyard on Ramal Road. In 1998, he sold his majority share in Carneros Creek Winery to investment banker Bill Hambrecht. The winery subsequently passed through several hands and is now owned by Briarcliff Wine Group, LLC. Mahoney founded Mahoney Vineyards and today shares the Carneros Creek Winery facility with Briarcliff. Mahoney hired Ken Foster, a former winemaker at David Bruce Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains, to head the winemaking program at Mahoney Vineyards. Since his hiring, the winery has made significant strides in quality, as the reviews of the wines below testify. Mahoney has always emphasized wines of elegance, balance and true varietal character, reflecting their Carneros heritage.

Mahoney now owns 162 acres of vineyards in Carneros, 149 acres of which are planted to multiple selections of Pinot Noir. Mahoney supplies fruit to Carneros Creek Winery and several other producers as well as Mahoney Vineyards. Mahoney Vineyards currently releases four Pinot Noirs: a Carneros appellation blend, and vineyard designates from Las Brisas Vineyard, Mahoney Ranch Vineyard and Haire Ranch Vineyard.

The Mahoney Vineyard wines are available for tasting at the Oxbow Tasting Room at 708 1st St. in Napa and may be purchased from the winery’s website store at www.mahoneyvineyards.com. The winery produces a wide range of varietals, but is best known for Pinot Noir. A very affordable early drinking second label, Fleur de California, is very popular and widely distributed.

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More Sips of California Pinot Noir

Note: Montage is a promising newer producer based in Oxnard, California and owned by John Gooden. Both the Etzel Vineyard and Flocchini Vineyard bottlings are good values and sold through the winery’s on-line store at www.montagevineyards.com and various retail locations. Wine club members enjoy a 20% discount.

Note: The following seven wines were taken from my cellar. I had not visited the wines in a few years. Stylistically, the Radio-Coteau wines are deeply colored, rich, and fruit-driven with plenty of tannic backbone, in some cases generous oak, and savory aromatics. The wines need hearty food. Although this producer has a devoted following, the style is currently not my cup of tea.

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La Crema: Pinot You Can Rely On

If you had to pick one California Pinot Noir label that year in and year out produces consistently fine Pinot Noir from multiple appellations at reasonable prices, La Crema would certainly come to mind. When neighbors, friends, and young people ask me what Pinot Noir to buy to take to a dinner, I often tell them La Crema. they usually thank me afterward, but La Crema is an easy recommendation to make. The wines are widely distributed (the winery website, www.lacrema.com, will help you find the wines close to home), with prominent placement on the top shelves of supermarket wine displays.

La Crema Winery is a family owned estate in the Russian River Valley that specializes in handcrafted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from cool climate vineyards in Sonoma, Mendocino and Monterey counties. Established in 1979, the winery has never allowed visitors (except for special events such as Winter Wineland), but the label quickly gained a reputation for quality. The owners are Laura Jackson-Giron and her sister Jennifer Jackson (family members belonging to the Jess Jackson clan).

Several winemakers developed the La Crema Winery style through the years, including Dan Goldfield (Dutton- Goldfield) and Jeff Stewart (Buena Vista). In 2004, La Crema hired Melissa Stackhouse to oversee all aspects of winemaking, and the wines reached a remarkable high level of quality despite the relatively large production and value pricing. The popularity of the label has never been higher and La Crema is consistently one of the top selling restaurant labels.

Stackhouse first joined La Crema in 2000 as an assistant winemaker. Before La Crema, her winemaking experience including stints at Peter Michael Winery, Hardy’s Tintara Winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, Robert Mondavi, Sterling and Joseph Phelps Vineyards. She holds a degree in viticulture and enology from University of California at Davis. Recently, Stackhouse was promoted to Pinot Noir winemaster for all Jackson Family Wines, but will continue to be a part of the blending panel for La Crema. Elizabeth Grant-Douglas, who has been the assistant winemaker since 2004, will become winemaker at La Crema. Assistant winemaker Eric Johannsen is to take on the associate winemaker position at La Crema.

Winemaking includes careful sorting, de-stemming, 5 to 8 day cold soak, aging for 7-8 months in about 25% to 30% new tight-grain, medium toast French oak barrels, and minimal fining and filtering.

La Crema has supported sustainable farming since 1999, when they were among the first wineries to become a certified Sonoma County “green business.” 75% of La Crema’s vineyards are farmed using “non-tillage” practices to reduce carbon dioxide output. In all the estate vineyards, composted grape pomace and chipped vegetation are added to replenish organic matter. Habitat boxes in the vineyards for owls, bluebirds and falcons help to naturally control vineyard pests. Riparian areas that border vineyards are planted and maintained. Beneficial insects are introduced to eliminate the need for pesticides.

I last tasted through the La Crema lineup of Pinot Noirs in the 2005 vintage when the wines showed beautiful balance and attractive textures but were more similar than different. With the 2009 vintage wines reviewed below, I discovered more appellation-specific character. All the wines can be recommended for early drinking. Prices vary widely depending on the retail source. Appellation-specific coastal region wines are produced from the Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma Coast AVA, Los Carneros AVA, Anderson Valley AVA and Monterey AVA. La Crema also produces an age worthy reserve small production (200 cases) expensive bottling labeled Nine-Barrel Pinot Noir which has received many accolades from the wine press.

The La Crema tasting room, which is open daily, is located at 235 Healdsburg Avenue in Healdsburg.

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Pinot Shootout Finals Tasting

I am not a big fan of large competition tastings, preferring to take my time in evaluating a wine. The Pinot Noir Shootout, conducted by Barbara Drady of Affairs of the Vine, is unique in that fewer wines are tasted at one sitting and more time can be devoted to fully sampling each wine in the competition. Recently, I attended the Finals Tasting in San Francisco where 96 out of over 350 wines originally submitted were scored by three groups of judges. The wines were judged independent of origin, price and vintage. Of the 32 wines I tasted during the afternoon, there were many excellent wines and some that really stood out.

Heaven Sent

Knocking on Heaven’s Door

Worth a Try

2009 Block Nine Caiden’s Vineyard California Pinot Noir 5,000 cases, $13

2007 Cameron Hughes Lot 110 Los Carneros Pinot Noir 12,000 cases, $18

2008 Cubanismo Vineyards Estate Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 150 cases, $39

2007 David Noyes Wines Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 550 cases, $35

2006 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Pinot Noir 20,155 cases, $22

2008 Lucas & Lewellen Goodchild High 9 Vineyard Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 593 cases, $28

2008 Nth Degree Arroyo Seco Monterey Pinot Noir 395 cases, $55

2008 Petite Abeille Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 75 cases, $35

2008 Tarras Vineyard The Steppes Central Otago Pinot Noir 1,200 cases, $30

2008 Vine Hill Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir 1,079 cases, $38

2008 Woodworth Vineyards Estate Temecula Valley Pinot Noir 200 cases, $33

2007 Windward Monopole Paso Robles Pinot Noir 1,320 cases, $38

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2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

The results of the annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition were recently announced. There were 5,050 wines entered from 23 states. The Pinot Noirs were judged in seven classes depending on price. Listed below are the Best of Class, Double Gold and Gold award winners (wines reviewed in the PinotFile are indicated by *). No Pinot Noirs were among the Sweepstakes winners except the 2006 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Champagne Caves Brut Rosé sparkling wine ($42). Visit www.winejudging.com for the complete results and information on the judges. A public tasting of the award winning wines will be held at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on February 19.

Up to $19.99

Best of Class: 2008 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Noir $18

Double Gold: 2009 Poppy Monterey County Pinot Noir $14.99

Gold: 2009 Angeline Winery Reserve $18, NV Barefoot Cellars California Pinot Noir $6.99, 2008 Bogle Vineyards California Pinot Noir $11, *2009 Bonterra Vineyards Mendocino County Pinot Noir $19.99, *2009 Cameron Hughes Carneros-Napa Lot 199 Pinot Noir $15, 2009 Coastal Ridge Pinot Noir $6.99, 2009 Concannon Central Coast Selected Vineyard Pinot Noir $10, 2009 Cupcake Vineyards Central Coast Pinot Noir $13.99, 2009 Fat Cat Cellars Pinot Noir $8.99, 2009 Fat Monk Central Coast Pinot Noir $12.00, *2009 Fleur de California Carneros Pinot Noir $17, 2009 Forever Vineyards California Pinot Noir $10, 2009 Gnarly Head California Pinot Noir $10.99, 2009 Goyette Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $14.99, 2009 Jargon California Pinot Noir $10.99, 2009 Mark West Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $16.99, 2009 Montpellier Vineyards Pinot Noir $6.99, and *2009 Sean Minor Four Bears Carneros Pinot Noir $17.

$20.00 to $24.99

Best of Class: 2008 Diva Cellars Franscioni Family Vineyard Monterey Pinot Noir $24

Double Gold: 2008 CRU Vineyard Montage Central Coast Pinot Noir $20, 2008 Paraiso Vineyards Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $24.99, *2008 Montage Vineyards The Etzel Vineyard Ribbon Ridge Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $24.95, *2007 Wente Vineyards Reliz Creek Vineyard Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir $24.95, and 2009 Poppy Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $24.99.

Gold: 2009 Pine Ridge Vineyards Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir $24, 2008 Willowbrook Cellars Carneros Pinot Noir $24, 2007 Peter Cellars Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $24.95, 2007 Philo Ridge Vineyards Anderson Valley Pinot Noir $24.00, 2008 Waterstone Carneros Pinot Noir $22, 2009 Castoro Cellars Blind Faith Vineyard Paso Robles Pinot Noir $21.95, 2008 McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards Real McCoy Napa Valley Pinot Noir $22.99, *2007 Buena Vista Carneros Winery Carneros Pinot Noir $24.00, 2008 DeLoach Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $24.00, and 2009 Francis Coppola Winery Diamond Monterey County Pinot Noir $20.00.

$25.00 to $29.99

Best of Class: 2008 Bloomfield Vineyards San Francisco Bay Pinot Noir $25

Double Gold: 2009 Hahn SLH Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $29

Gold: 2008 Kenneth Volk Vineyards Santa Maria Cuvee Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir $28

$30.00 to $34.99

Best of Class: 2009 Copious Winery California Pinot Noir $32

Double Gold: 2009 Balletto Vineyards Winery Block Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $34, and 2007 Per Bacco Cellars Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noir $30.

Gold: 2007 Bianchi Winery Edna Ranch Edna Valley Pinot Noir $30, 2008 Cathedral Ridge Winery Dampier Vineyard Columbia Gorge Pinot Noir $32, *2008 Costa de Oro Winery Gold Coast Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir $34.99, 2008 DiFronzo Vineyard DiFronzo Estate Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noir $30, *2007 Handley Cellars Anderson Valley Pinot Noir $30, 2009 Jigar Wines Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $30, 2009 Jus Soli Winery Bennett Valley Pinot Noir $30, 2008 Kenneth Volk Vineyards Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir $30, *2007 Ridgeway Two Pisces Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $32.95, 2008 Russian River Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $32, 2008 Sarah’s Vineyard Estate Santa Clara Valley Pinot Noir $34.99, 2008 Tulocay Haynes Vineyard Napa Valley Pinot Noir $30, and *2008 Verve Laetitia Vineyard Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noir $33.

$35.00 to $39.99

Best of Class: 2008 Nicholson Ranch Estate Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir $38

Double Gold: 2008 Elodian Monk’s Gate Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $39.99

Gold: 2008 Asuncion Ridge Vineyards San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir $35, 2009 Carmel Hills Winery Monterey County Pinot Noir $39, 2009 Copious Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $35, 2008 Dutton Estate Winery Karmen Isabella Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $39, *2008 Fog Crest Vineyard Laguna West Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $39, 2009 Frank Family Vineyards Carneros-Napa Pinot Noir $35, 2009 Graton Ridge Cellars Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $38, 2008 Hook and Ladder Winery Third Alarm Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $35, 2007 Husch Vineyards Reserve Anderson Valley $35, 2007 Moshin Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $36, 2009 Pichetti Winery Truchard Vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir $36.95, 2007 Salisbury vineyards Avila Valley San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir $37, 2008 Sierra Madre Vineyard Estate Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir $39.99, 2007 Silver Mountain Muns Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir $38, and 2007 Windsor Oaks Vineyards & Winery Estate 5 Dijon Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $35.

$40.00 to $49.00

Best of Class: 2008 Gracianna Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $48 and 2008 Truckee River Winery Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $45.

Double Gold: 2008 DeLoach Our Finest Selection Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $40, 2008 Matrix Winery Buoncristiani Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $45, and 2007 Mendelson Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $40.

Gold: *2008 Benziger Family Winery Signaterra Bella Luna Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $49, 2008 De La Montanya Winery Christine’s Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $45, 2008 Erath Leiland Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $45, 2008 Fog Crest Vineyard Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $45, 2006 Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves Vineyard Designate Carneros Pinot Noir $40, *2008 Kokomo Winery Peters Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $48, *2008 Pfendler Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $45, 2008 Sanford Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir $42, 2009 Soquel Vineyards P.R. Lester Family Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir $40, 2008 Tepusquet Canyon Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir $40, 2008 Tondre Tondre Grapefield Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $40, and 2009 Uptick Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $48.

$50.00 and Over

Best of Class: *2008 Benziger Family Winery de Coelo Quintus Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $70.

Double Gold: 2007 Baxter Oppenlander Vineyard Mendocino Pinot Noir $60, 2008 Fess Parker Winery Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir $50, 2008 Lynmar Quail Hill Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $60, and 2008 The Four Graces Doe Ridge Estate Yamhill County Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $75.

Gold: *2008 Beauregard Vineyards Bald Mountain Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir $50, *2008 Canihan Family Cellars Exuberance Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir $59, 2008 Costa de Oro Winery Dijon Selection Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir $59.99, 2008 Fess Parker Winery Ashley’s Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir $50, 2008 King Estate Domaine Oregon Pinot Noir $60, 2007 Truckee River Winery Garys’ Vineyard Best Man Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $60, 2007 Vision Cellars Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $50, and 2008 Wente Vineyards Nth Degree Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir $55.

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Pinot Briefs

Rivers-Marie Update I caught up recently with winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown at Outpost Winery in Angwin. We tasted the lineup of 2009 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noirs together one week before their release. Rivers-Marie is the hottest label in California Pinot Noir currently. The day the wines were offered, all but the Sonoma Coast bottling were sold out within a few hours. The 2009 wines are superb so this was understandable, although I don’t believe anyone had tasted or reviewed the wines. Quantities were low in 2009. Thomas bought the Summa Vineyard previously owned by the Zeller family who will still farm this beautiful site on Taylor Lane in the Sonoma Coast. The old vines in this treasured vineyard were planted in 1978 to a clone that the Zellers refuse to disclose. In 1998, interplanting and additional plantings were added on resistant rootstock. For Brown, the 2009 vintage was the best since 2005 for his style of Pinot Noir, although the 2009 Summa Vineyard Young Vines Pinot Noir lacked character and all of it was added to the Sonoma Coast bottling. Some new vineyard sources are becoming available (Lancel Creek Vineyard and UV Vineyard, both farmed by Ulises Valdez, Silver Eagle Vineyard and all the planted Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay) so a little more wine will become available in 2010 (1,800 cases). I will give my formal review of the 2009 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noirs in a future issue. Suffice it say, with the Summa Vineyard Young Vines added to the Sonoma Coast bottling, this becomes a steal at $25. The Occidental Ridge and Summa Vineyard Old Vines Pinot Noirs have amazing concentration and persistence yet the fruit is beautifully balanced with lively acidity. Visit www.riversmarie.com.

Arista Winery Update I spent some time with Mark McWilliams touring the new 10 acres of estate vineyards which sit off Westside Road adjacent the Williams Selyem Litton Estate (now Williams Selyem Estate) Vineyard and the Baker Ridge Vineyard owned by Thomas George Estates. The estate vineyards consist of four distinct plantings on different soils: Harper’s Rest (2 acres), Two Birds (4 acres), Bee Tree (1+ acre) and Seven Stories (1+ acre). Rather than use nursery clonal stock, the vineyards are being planted with cuttings from famous Sonoma County vineyards such as neighboring Flax Vineyard and Baker Ridge Vineyard. Seven selections have been established in a mother vineyard on the property (pictured below). A site has been chosen for a new winery (the wines are currently vinified at Moshin Vineyards down the road), but construction has been put on short term hold. If you are interested in a focused tasting of Arista wines and a tour of the estate vineyards, contact me and I will arrange your VIP visit with Mark.

Pinot Noir Themed Clothing Visit www.cafepress.com for a large selection of wine and Pinot Noir themed clothing for men, women, kids, infants and dogs. Some of my favorites include: “I Don’t Like Keeping Things Bottled Up!”, “Will Work For Pinot Noir,” and “Money Can’t Buy Love, But It Can Buy Pinot Noir.”

Kistler Vineyards Evolves A recent article in The New York Times by Eric Asimov spotlighted Kistler Vineyards and in particular, the new winemaking direction espoused by Steve Kistler and his assistant Jason Kesner. Asimov noted, “The Kistler style has changed in the last few years. Following the evolving tastes of Steve Kistler, rather than the pressure of economic necessity, Kistler has stepped back, striving for finesse and energy rather than power.” I believe this is good news for Kistler Pinot Noir drinkers especially those who enjoy their wines with food. I have always been critical of the “old” Kistler Pinot Noir style of high extraction, ripeness, and generous oak. Besides stylistic winemaking modifications, Kistler has also committed the Pinot Noir program to primarily west Sonoma County and true Sonoma Coast vineyard sites.

Wine Writer Survey According to a report by Tom Wark in Wine Business Monthly, summarizing a survey taken of wine writers (I believe I participated online), there are now more than 800 wine blogs on the Internet, but traditional print media and newsletters still have more influence with consumers than blogs. American wine writers are predominantly male (38% are female), over 50 years of age (although there are increasing numbers of writers under age 40) and very educated. In the same vein, there was considerable buzz on the Internet over the last week about whether wine writers should be certified.

iPads Could Become a Fixture at Wineries The iPad is being used by wineries to market their wines, train retailers and sommeliers and educate consumers in tasting rooms and at wine festivals and tastings. Jordan Winery recently bought iPads for all 97 employees. More than 2 million iPads have been purchased by businesses and wine apps are multiplying at a startling rate.

Norton Grape Back in News The book, The Wild Vine, traced the history of the Norton, a hybrid grape accidentally discovered in the 1820s by Dr. Daniel Norton. The grape was found to survive the harsh eastern New World climate and produce a divisive wine that was enjoyed by some, but disdained by others. German immigrants cultivated the Norton grape in Missouri (it is known there also as Cynthiana) and it became Missouri’s official grape. Researchers at the University of Missouri in Columbia are attempting to create a Norton and vinifera hybrid that will possess the resistance that the Norton grape has to downy and powdery mildew as well as viral and other pests, and produce a more palatable wine than that resulting from the Norton grape alone. The Norton genome has not been sequenced and this may hold some valuable information about its disease resistance. View the article in Wines & Vines (December 9, 2010), and read the review of the riveting book, The Wild Vine, in the PinotFile (www.princeofpinot.com/article/943/).

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Pinot Noir Winemaking 101

The Decisions Involved in Making Pinot Noir

Source: Oregon Pinot Camp

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one”

Elbert Hubbard

Harvest

Determining ripeness: sampling for sugar, acid, tasting for tannins and flavors, visual indicators of ripeness.

Picking: decision and timing, picking methods, picking containers.

Reception

Equipment & Processes: refrigerating/freezing picked grapes, dumping grapes from picking containers, sorting, de-stemming/crushing/whole clusters, jack sorting, method for filling fermenters.

Pre-Ferment

Modification of Must: concentration, saiginée, chaptalization, addition of water, addition of acid.

Additions to Must: dry ice, SO2, tannins, enzymes, oxygen and heat, yeast and yeast nutrients.

Fermentation

Management of Extraction: fermenter size, shape, material, open top or closed top, cold maceration method and time, punch down/punch over/Pulsair/rack and return, mixing regime, temperature regime.

Pressing - Managing Tannins and Texture: decision to empty fermenter - before, at, after fermentation, extended maceration (length of timing and decision making), method for moving wine, method of emptying fermenter, type of press and method of pressing, separation or mixing of press and free-run.

Aging

Maturing: settling in tank (if yes, how long), aging in tank or barrel, alternatives to barrels (oak products, micro-ox), lees contact and stirring, racking regime - frequency, indicators, methods, malolactic fermentation (inoculated or not and when), SO2.

Barrels: barrel size and age (percentage new/used/how old?), oak origin (country and forest), cooper and toasting regime, method for filling and emptying barrels, system for storage of barrels, barrel aging regime (time, temperature, humidity).

Finishing

Blending: purpose and methods

Stabilization: lab tests performed - purpose and techniques, fining (materials, purpose, methods), filtration (purpose, equipment, techniques), last minute adjustments (acid, SO