Blast from 2011 World of Pinot Noir

I returned yesterday from the 2011 World of Pinot Noir in Shell Beach, California, flush with fond memories of the cornucopia of spectacular Pinot Noirs and a renewed admiration for those that craft these marvelous grape concoctions. There were well over 225 wineries in attendance, offering wines to attendees at seminars and walk-around tastings Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 4, 5 and 6. If one was up to the Herculean task, at least 600 Pinot Noirs from California, Oregon and the international community could be sampled. Winemakers were in abundance and eager to talk Pinot. The event was a joyous and convivial festival with Pinot geeks and enthusiastic wine lovers trading tasting tips, renewing their fraternal bond, and reveling in their good fortune.

As it should be, this is not a venue for serious, extended wine tasting. There are however, notable Pinot Noirs that tickle your palate immediately, offering the aromatic sensuality, the dreamy flavor and seductive texture that is easy to recognize in Pinot Noir, but very difficult to describe. Admittedly, the best way to critically evaluate or even enjoy Pinot Noir is tasting it over time. As wine writer Eric Asimov, said several years ago, “Part of what makes Pinot Noir so exciting is it’s elusive nature. From one moment to the next, the aromas and flavors of a good Pinot Noir change in the glass, making it difficult to pin down.” That said, love at first sip is not unusual, and there are lasting impressions that can be gained by brief flings with a wine.

Obviously, I could not taste every wine or the offerings of every producer. I was having too good a time. There were, however, select Pinot Noirs that grabbed my attention and I have listed them here with brief comments. These are wines worth exploring further. Don’t stress if you cannot find a particular wine and don’t feel that my choices are sacred cows. Do, however, pay attention to the producer’s name. A big advantage of an event like World of Pinot Noir is the presence of winemakers that you can get to know. As Tim Atkin MW has said, “The character, ambition and talent of the person who made it is highly relevant to how that wine tastes. I want to know about these things, just as I want to know about vintage conditions, personal eccentricities, and a winemaker’s take on the world. All those things made wine different; all these things make wine special.”

Asuncion Ridge A 320-acre private hilltop ranch in Atascadero with a 7-acre estate vineyard planted to several Pinot Noir clones including HMR, Pommard, 2A, 23 and Dijon 115, 667 and 777. Phillip Krumel and partner Michael Dilsaver farm the vineyard and manage the inn on the property. Winemaker Krumel learned his winemaking craft from Marc Goldberg of Windward Vineyard. The wines are sold through a mailing list at www.asuncionridge.com or inquire at asuncionridge@hughes.net. I also tasted the 2006 Asuncion Ridge Pinot Noir which is more red-fruited and delicate, but equally enjoyable.

Benziger Family Winery de Coelo The de Coelo (“day-chay-lo”) Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs (Quintus Vineyard and Terra Neuma Vineyard bottlings) are sourced from the 25-acre biodynamically farmed de Coelo Estate property located on a rugged hilltop five miles from the Pacific Ocean. It is truly on the edge of where Pinot Noir will grow. I have been a fan of these wines and the 2009 vintage represents a truly stunning reflection of this unique terroir. The winemaker, Rodrigo Soto, has taken on this project with passion and conviction and the results are paying off. Learn more and acquire the wines at www.benziger.com.

Bridlewood Estate Winery A 105-acre estate on the eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley offering a picturesque landscape including a Mission-style winery, hillside vineyards, and panoramic views of the surrounding region. Winemaker David Hopkins crafts a range of wines made from grapes sourced from many Central Coast vineyards stretching from Santa Barbara County to Monterey County. Visit the website at www.bridlewoodwinery.com.

Domaine Serene Ken and Grace Evenstad arrived in Oregon in 1989 and founded Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills near Domaine Drouhin and White Rose Vineyard. The winery is one of the most modern and technologically advanced in North America. There are three vineyard estates totaling 150 planted acres planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The current winemaker is French-trained Eleni Papadakis who joined the winery upon Tony Rynders departure in 2009. Some wines are available online at www.domaineserene.com, with special bottlings reserved for mailing list and wine club members. The wines are expensive, but never disappoint.

Dragonette Cellars A partnership between brothers John and Steve Dragonette and close friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis. The trio spent many years learning the wine business through tasting, wine sales and winemaking under the tutelage of respected winemakers. To pursue their dream of making wine in the Santa Ynez Valley, they moved their families to the Valley to be close to the land and its bounty. The first release came with the 2005 vintage. The wines include Pinot Noir, a Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, and are sold through a mailing list at www.dragonettecellars.com. The 2009 Dragonette Cellars Sauvignon Blanc (14.3% alc., $48) was also sampled and was an intriguing barrel-fermented wine from Vogelzang Vineyard in the Happy Canyon region of Santa Ynez Valley displaying unusual tropical and peach flavors, brought to life with bracing acidity.

Evening Land Vineyards Evening land organically farms over 120 acres of heritage vineyards and produces 12 Estate wines. The vineyard sources include old vine own rooted Oregon and California heritage clones, cuttings from the great established Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards of Burgundy, and an experimental block of Pinot Noir grown from seed. Wines are offered from the Sonoma Coast, the Santa Rita Hills, and the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Sashi Moorman crafts the wines from Sonoma and Santa Rita Hills, and Isabelle Meunier with consultant Dominique Lafon make the Oregon wines. For 2009, the early releases are three Blue Label Pinot Noirs (California, Oregon and Burgundy, all $75). In addition to the wine below, I tasted the 2008 Evening Land Occidental Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($120) which was good, but not an exceptional wine. The wines are sold online at www.eveninglandvineyards.com.

Failla Founded in 1998 as Failla Jordan, taking its name from the husband-and-wife team of winemaker Ehren Jordan and fellow debtor Anne-Marie Failla. The same year the estate vineyard was planted on the Sonoma Coast and together they began buying fruit for their first releases which were Rhone-style wines. After three vintages, legal issues over the use of the word Jordan (as in Jordan Winery) forced them to continue the label as simply Failla (“FAY-la”). Failla debuted in 2002 and is dedicated to sourcing cool climate fruit from coastal sites in California. Ehren crafted wine at both Neyers Vineyards and Turley Wine Cellars for many years before starting Failla. Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir and Syrah are offered primarily to mailing list members. Visit www.faillawines.com.

Freeman Vineyard & Winery Ken and Akiko Freeman launched their winery in 2001. Devoted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they have veered over time to sourcing grapes from cooler west Sonoma County vineyards and the wines have steadily improved as a result. Their talented winemaker, Ed Kurtzman, is assisted by Akiko, and associate winemaker Eric Buffington, and the trio craft wines that are approachable upon release, yet show enough balance and structure to allow for extended development in the cellar. Production is about 4,000 cases annually which is sold primarily through a mailing list at www.freemanwinery.com.

Gypsy Canyon Vineyards & Winery The Gypsy Canyon estate still has the original Mission vines planted over a 100 years ago by the first know woman wine grower in California, Dona Marcelina Felix Dominguez. Owner and winemaker Deborah Hall farms 12 acres of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Mission. The Gypsy Canyon package gives a nod to California history with a hand-blown glass bottle of historically correct shape with an embossed glass seal, a handmade paper label, and a beeswax seal. Each bottle is numbered and signed by Hall. All this historical aesthetic adds to the appeal of the wine inside the bottle. The wines are sold through a highly allocated mailing list at www.gypsycanyon.com. The wines are dear, but no expense is sparred in producing and packaging these unique artisan wines.

Hirsch Vineyards The birthplace of great Pinot Noir on the Sonoma Coast. Planting began in 1980 and has continued through 2003 and currently consists of 69 acres of Pinot Noir and 2.5 acres of Chardonnay. The site is located at 1,500 feet three miles southwest of the Pacific Ocean. The current winemaker (since the 2007 vintage) is Ross Cobb and the vineyard manager is Everardo Robledo who has been at Hirsch Vineyards since 1988. The wines are available through a mailing list at www.hirschvineyards.com and retail distribution.

Hug Cellars Launched by Augie and Raquel Hug in 1994 with a mere 87 cases of Syrah made from grapes purchased from Alban Vineyards. John Alban became a valuable mentor for Augie and he made his wines at Alban Vineyards for nine years. In 2004, Augie moved to his own winery in Paso Robles. The first Hug Pinot Noir was crafted in 2001. Current production is about 1,700 cases, with about a third of that being Pinot Noir. The most notable Pinot Noir source is the renowned Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard. Hug Cellars wines are sold primarily through a mailing list at www.hugcellars.com and at the tasting room in Paso Robles.

Ken Brown Wines The founding winemaker at both Zaca Mesa Winery and Byron Winery, Ken Brown has been crafting wine in the Central Coast since 1977. He was one of the first to recognize the potential of Santa Barbara County to produce fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and was the first to introduce Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Syrah to the area. After leaving Byron Winery in 2003, he launched his own label specializing in small lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Ken Brown wines are sold online at www.kenbrownwines.com.

Lachini Vineyards A boutique family run winery focusing on Pinot Noir. Lachini Vineyards began producing single-vineyard Pinot Noir from the 45-acre estate vineyard in 2001. The vineyard, which is situated in the Chehalem Mountains, is planted to a mix of clones including Pommard, Wädenswil, and Dijon. The winemaker is renowned talent Laurent Montalieu. The wines are sold through a mailing list at www.lachinivineyards.com.

MacPhail Family Wines Founded in 1998 by James MacPhail who learned his winemaking skills at Quivera, Pellegrini and Merry Edwards. The Pinot Noirs are hand crafted in small lots at the MacPhail 5,000- case winery in Healdsburg. Grapes are sourced from various well-regarded vineyards in Sonoma County and Anderson Valley. The wines are sold primarily through a mailing list and online at www.macphailwines.com. Very innovative marketing at work here.

Masút Vineyard & Winery Ben and Jake Fetzer, sons of Bobby Fetzer, spent their childhood surrounded by their family’s 3,000 acres of certified organic vineyards in Mendocino County. At an early age they developed a great admiration for their family’s accomplishments and wanted to build upon their legacy. The Masút Vineyard & Winery was launched in 2009 with the assistance of the pair’s mother, focusing on estate grown Pinot Noir from their certified organic Masút Vineyard on a ranch in Redwood Valley. The winery is dedicated to Bobby Fetzer, who passed away in a river rafting accident in 2006. The Masút Vineyard is 23 hillside acres planted in 1997 to three Dijon clones (113, 115, 777). The site was chosen as a prime, but not conventional, location for Pinot Noir by Bobby Fetzer. The father and his sons cleared the land and planted the vineyard together. The name, Masút, means “dark, rich earth.” Visit the website at www.masut.com to acquire.

Miner Family Vineyards Located in the eastern hills of the Oakville appellation, and founded in 1998 by Dave and Emily Miner, this winery is not generally on the pinotphile’s radar as they are better known for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. That said, they have been producing stellar wines for many years from Garys’ and Rosella’s vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The long tenured winemaker is Gary Brookman. The wines are available online at www.minerwines.com.

Presqu’ile Pronounced “press-KEEL,” this small winery is located in the Santa Maria Valley. Presqu’ile is Creole for “almost an island,” and was the gathering place for the Murphy family on the Gulf Coast until Hurricane Katrina ended an era. Four generations of the Murphy family have partnered in farming, forestry, oil and gas, and conservation. Today, two generations of Murphys joined with winemaker Dieter Cronje and vineyard manager Jim Stollberg to form the soul of Presqu’ile. Located between the Pacific Ocean and the San Rafael Mountains, near Solomon Hills Vineyard, the 73 acres of certified sustainably farmed vineyards are located on a 200-acre property. Production centers on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc both from the estate vineyard and top growers in Santa Barbara County. Farming includes intensive shoot and cluster thinning. Grapes are picked at relatively low brix, producing wines of moderately low alcohol. The wines are fermented exclusively with native yeast, and most wines are barrel aged in 75% neutral French oak barrels. The Pinot Noirs are bottled unfined and unfiltered. A stunning winery and tasting room are slated for completion in 2012 and will bring notoriety to the Santa Maria Valley. The wines are sold through a mailing list at www.presquilewine.com. I would suggest you hop on board as this will become a very praiseworthy addition to the stable of Santa Maria Valley wineries. (A side note: a friend, Francoise Gouges, who represents Tonnellerie Sirugue, and has a French oriented palate, enthusiastically urged me to try the Pesqui’ile wines)

RN Estate Vineyard Frenchman Roger Nicolas crafts Pinot Noir, red Rhone and Bordeaux varietals from purchased grapes in Paso Robles. The small production Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix Vineyard has been a favorite of mine over the last few vintages. Nicolas has a gifted touch with Pinot Noir, gathering his French sensibility with his years of experience in the restaurant industry to craft wines that seduce rather than attack. There is also a Chell Vineyard York Mountain Pinot Noir in 2008. The wines are sold online at www.rnestate.com.

Seagrape Wine Company Karen Steinwachs is a refugee from the high-tech world who learned her winemaking under Kathy Joseph at Fiddlehead and is now the winemaker for Buttonwood Farm Winery. Dave Robinson is also a techie who offers wineries logistics, warehousing, website and e-commerce solutions through Vintegrated Solutions. They are both big fans of Santa Barbara County wines. Together, they launched their own label, Seagrape Wine Company. The name comes from their island backgrounds. Dave came from the British Isles and Karen lived part of her life in St. Croix. They manage to always vacation somewhere in the tropics. The Seagrape tree is found near seaside beaches and is a visual reminder of both their winemaking roots and their love of the islands. The Pinot Noirs (Huber Vineyard and Hibbit’s Vineyard) and Chardonnay (Huber Vineyard) are sold through a mailing list at www.seagrapewinecompany.com. Karen is the incoming President of the World of Pinot Noir event.

Sinor-LaVallee Spouses Mike Sinor and Cheri LaVallee founded Sinor-Lavellee in 1997. The pair met as students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1993 where they had “chemistry.” They were married in 1996 in Beaune, France, in the heart of Burgundy. Both have a colorful background in the wine industry. Mike made his name as the winemaker at Domaine Alfred Winery after several years at Byron Winery. His second label, Ancient Peaks, has been very popular. Total production is only 500 cases annually. The wines are sold primarily through a mailing list and online at www.sinorlavallee.com. The San Luis Obispo cuvée Pinot Noir ($29) is a very solid wine for daily drinking.

Vine Hill Winery A small, artisan winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains, surrounded by vineyard and redwoods with a panoramic view of Monterey Bay. The Vine Hill District of the Santa Cruz Mountains was formally established in 1867. The property has a long history of winegrowing. In 1968, David Bruce purchased the land and replaced the Zinfandel with Pinot Noir. In 1974, David Bruce sold the site to Ken Burnap who made distinctive wines for years under the Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyard label. The current Vine Hill team consists of winegrower Nick Guerrero, winemaker Sal Godinez and vineyard manager Rachel Ormes. The estate vineyard has received organic certification. Wines are produced under the Cumbre, Gatos Locos and Vine Hill labels. Beyond the estate vineyard, Pinot Noir is sourced from Nelson Family Vineyard and Devery Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wines are sold through the winery’s online store at www.vinehillwinery.com.

Note: I just didn’t have the patience to fight the 6-deep crowd at the Kosta Browne table to taste their 09s. There is no other Pinot Noir producer in California that can approach the attention that Kosta Browne attracts at events. I think it is because winemaker Michael Browne offers wines that appeal to the American aesthetic. As Michael says, “I like wines that sound good, and I like rock n’ roll.”

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Paul Lato: Master of Harmony & Elegance

In January, I wrote about Paul Lato and reviewed the 2008 lineup of Pinot Noirs. On my way to World of Pinot Noir this year, I stopped by and visited Paul in his modest, but expanded winery space at Central Coast Wine Services in Santa Maria. We spent an afternoon sampling his 2009 lineup of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. He opened up about his struggles through the years as a fiercely independent winemaker (Paul Lato Wines is truly a one-man operation and Paul has no investors), peppered with the many analogies he conjures that capture your attention (“I am fastidious about barrels, and treat them like a high-maintenance girlfriend”). Paul is an engaging personality and it easy to be seduced by cellar palate when tasting with him, but I believe I have enough integrity to honestly tell you that the 2009 Paul Lato Pinot Noirs are among the most sophisticated wines now being produced in California, displaying a stunning pinotosity in a Chambolle-inspired fashion. That is not to say that these wines are Burgundian, for they are clearly Californian, but they exhibit the same seductive elegance that wines from Chambolle Musigny offer.

The 2009 wines were released to an eager mailing list this week and by the time you read this they may be sold out. The wines had only been in bottle two weeks, but were fresh and lovely. The moderately high alcohols are the result of the level of humidity in the winemaking facility which concentrates the wines, and not from picking grapes at exaggerated ripeness. Cold soaks are generally up to 7 to 8 days. No whole cluster is used except in the Syrahs. The wines are gently fined with egg whites (“A little makeup is a good thing on a pretty woman”) and bottled unfiltered. Paul only produces about 900 cases of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (his 100 cases of Syrah are also outstanding but that’s another story). Sign up for the mailing list at www.paullatowines.com. Paul is also consulting now for Hilliard-Bruce wines and the Hilliard-Bruce Vineyard is a new vineyard-designate for Paul in 2009. These wines are crafted by John Hilliard, who puts his own distinct stamp on his estate Pinot Noir and are not stylistically identical to Paul’s. Visit www.hilliardbruce.com.

Paul has never been one to seek publicity but he has opened the door for me and I am happy to toot his horn. In his recent offering of the 2009 vintage he compared winemakers to accomplished musicians. He said, “Winemakers have so much to learn from music: about balance and harmonies, about rhythms and controlling the intensity of the expression. We must learn to make our wines a concert of flavors and textures, an experience that is fully pleasing and yet never too overwhelming. Music itself, especially classical music, is a tremendous tool (model) for us. It constantly reminds us about balance, harmony and elegance. Winemakers recognize how much music can teach us about the sensibility involved in making wine.” You see a window into the philosophy of Paul Lato in this quote. I, for one, am pleased that he has chosen to apply this analogy to his wines.

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The Buzz at WOPN

*Lane Tanner, the Lady Gaga of Pinot Noir producers in California, is retiring. The 2009 vintage will be the last for the Pinot Czarzina. Lane launched her label, Lane Tanner Winery, in 1984, at a time when women winemakers in California were a rarity. She made the house wine for the Hitching Post restaurant for many years. She was known for crafting Pinot Noir with elegance and moderate alcohol and had a faithful following. Lane told me that she still has a good stock of library wines, including cases of magnums. Contact her through www.lanetanner.com.

*George Bursick, who gained fame for the wines he crafted for many years at Ferraro-Carano, and who most recently transformed J Vineyards & Winery into an ultra-premium Pinot Noir producer, has chosen to strike out on his own as an independent winery consultant. In addition, he is starting his own label, George Bursick Wines, which focuses on single-vineyard white wines. Visit www.bursickwineconsulting.com. He will remain a consultant for J Vineyards & Winery.

*Buena Vista Winery has concluded its lease on its winery facility in Carneros. Ascentia is consolidating its production to it’s Geyser Peak facility in Geyrserville. Buena Vista will no longer be made exclusively from Carneros grapes, but will include fruit from throughout Sonoma County. Winemaker Jeff Stewart seemed saddened when we talked. He had put his heart and soul in the turn around at Buena Vista and the wines had become world class. Business is business, and the Buena Vista Winery under its current organization was not profitable. The Buena Vista tasting room will remain open to the public and the future plans for Buena Vista wines remain unclear, although reportedly they will become a “super-premium” brand. The future of talented winemaker Jeff Stewart is still up in the air.

*Enthusiasm for Burgundy remains high as evidenced by the sold-out attendance at the Burgundian Seminar on Saturday morning. Moderator Allen Meadows (aka Burghound) was in top form and presented a captivating session on the history of Burgundy, using some excerpts from his new book, The Pearl of the Côte - The Great Wines of Vosne-Romanee. Young Turk winemakers Alexandrine Roy of Domaine Marc Roy and Thomas Bouley of Domaine Jean-Marc Bouley presented their 2007 and 2008 red Burgundies, primarily 1er Cru level wines. The wines of Roy come from Gevrey-Chambertain, and although the region’s wines are known for their rusticity and animale characters, Roy has put her own feminine stamp on the wines and they are very seductive and approachable, as well as offering good value. Bouley’s wines are more intense, but not lacking in charm and were superb. In 2007, the growing season was moderately warm, harvest was declared early, and the resultant wines are riper and more approachable early. 2008 was more challenging due to a very cool growing season. For those producers such as Bouley and Roy, who achieved phenolic ripeness and limited yields, the 2008 vintage produced fabulous wines, albeit with firm tannins and lively acidity that will take years to integrate. Allen feels that 2008 has transparency, showing individual terroirs, and enthusiasts should look to the reputation of the domaine in making purchasing decisions for that vintage.

*There continues to be a cantankerous debate about high alcohol and balance with some claiming that no wine over 14.0% alcohol is balanced, and others willing to offer many examples of Pinot Noir with over 15.0% alcohol that are in balance. A Seminar at WOPN on alcohol and balance offered a panel of noted winemakers including Jim Clendenen (Au Bon Climat), Adam Tolmach (The Ojai Vineyard), Josh Jensen (Calera Wine Company), Adam Lee (Siduri Wines) and Michael Browne (Kosta Browne), but no definitive answers. I expected a more contentious panel discussion, but the specter of respect among the panelists prevented any such thing. The wines presented offered impressive drinking at low alcohols (2001 Au Bon Climat Mount Carmel Vineyard “Larmes de Grappe” Sta. Rita Hills - 13.2% alc. and 2006 Calera Mills Vineyard Mount Harlan - 13.5% alc.) and high alcohols (2008 Kosta Browne Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley - 14.7% alc. and 2008 Siduri Wines Keefer Vineyard Russian River Valley - 15.2% alc.). Moderator Eric Asimov summarized the discussion by saying that producers should not be criticized for the style of Pinot Noir they choose to make with consumers being the final arbitrators of style. Note: Siduri's Adam Lee presented two wines: 2008 Keefer Vineyard Pinot Noir (15.2%) and 2008 Cargassachi Vineyard Pinot Noir (13.6%). He switched the labels without telling the panel or audience. Rajat Parr (Wine Director for Michael Mina Restaurants), who was on the panel, asked Adam if he could buy a case of the "Cargassachi" Pinot Noir which was, in fact, the Keefer Vineyard Pinot Noir. Rajat has been an outspoken opponent of Pinot Noir above 14.0% alcohol, and features no wines on the RN74 (San Francisco) wine list that exceed this level of alcohol. Adam made a point, and although embarrassed, but to his credit, Rajat allowed Adam to announce this switch to the audience who were, of course, tickled.

*We tend to think that all good Pinot Noir comes from either California, Oregon or Burgundy but the International Roundtable at the WOPN proved otherwise. There were some very impressive Pinot Noirs offered by producers from Switzerland (Moehr-Niggli), Austria (Weingut Johanneshof Reinisch), Germany (Weingut Dr. Heger), Chile (Kingston Family Vineyards), Australia (Yabby Lake), and New Zealand (Quartz Reef). The top wines from these countries are imported in minuscule amounts, but they are definitely worth a search.