Minerality: Describing What You Can’t Describe

I have written confidently about many wine topics, but the subject of minerality gives me the heebie-jeebies. Although the heebie-jeebies can refer to an after effect of excessive alcohol intake, in this case the reference is to a type of anxiety or nervousness. As a physician, I have a scientific background and I love to deal in facts and proofs, not in a vague metaphor, (some would say simile), like minerality.

Over the past few months, I have attended seminars on minerality at the World of Pinot Noir in Shell Beach, California, and Pinot Paradise in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In addition, I spent some time with Kevin Harvey, proprietor of Rhys Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, who is a proponent of the role of minerality in fine wine. I have heard from wine writers, winemakers, winegrowers, professors and wine drinkers, and one conclusion stands out: minerality is a misused descriptor that is controversial and esoteric to say the least.

Minerality is a descriptive word for wine which has no common definition and is supported by no scientific proof that minerality from the soil can influence wine aroma and flavor. Here are but a few attempts at defining minerality I have heard or read recently:

“A descriptor that reflects our struggle to find what we are experiencing.” (Winemaker James Cahill)

“An effort to connect wine to the place it is grown.” (Winemaker Fintan du Fresne)

“A way to describe the non-fruit components of wine. A word used to describe what one can’t describe plainly.” (Winemaker Jason Jardine)

“A lack of fruit character in wine.” (Winemaker Mike Waller)

“The lack of something rather than the presence of something (ie fruit) in wine.” (Consumer)

“A soil-based characteristic in wine.” (Winemaker Jason Jardine)

“Perception of geology in wine.” (Dr. James Kennedy UC Fresno)

“Being able to actually taste the vineyard geology in the wine....in any literal way is scientifically impossible. Whatever minerality is, it is not the taste of vineyard minerals.” (Alex Maltman Institute of Geography and Earth Science, Wales)

“Minerality is a complex mixture of compounds in wine which we associate with the smell of soils or rocky area.” (Dr. Sue Ebeler, UC Davis)

“Something that exists but is not explainable: I know it when I taste it.” (Writer Karen MacNeil)

“I can’t define minerality, but I know it when I feel it.” (Writer Steve Heimoff)

“Wines richer in minerals present way differently. There is a suppression of obvious fruit...the wines seem to have a sort of nucleus or density around their ether, they are gathered, focused, cohered the way a laser coheres light.” (Winemaker Randall Grahm)

“Minerality is a concept which could never be consistently defined in words or physical standards.” (Sensory chemist Dr. Ann Noble)

“No one specific, precise detail can recognizably define minerality; it is a combination of many attributes.” (Sensory chemist Dr. Ann Noble)

“The minerality of a wine is experienced like a generation of tension in the mouth that is innately refreshing and energizing.” (Winemaker Jason Lett)

“Minerality is more of a sensation than a flavor that predominantly appears in an elusive finish.” (Winemaker Steve Matthiasson)

“The aroma, taste and tactile sensation in wine when grapes are grown on rocks.” (Winegrower Kevin Harvey)

“A sense of mineral-ness in the wine, flavors of slate, schist, silex, etc.” (Wikipedia)

Most agree with Dr. James Kennedy, who says, “It is not whether it (minerality) is there, but what is it.” Still, there are some naysayers when it comes to minerality. Mike Waller, the winemaker at Calera Wine Co., who appeared at both the World of Pinot Noir and Pinot Paradise seminars on minerality, said, “I don’t get much minerality in red wines. I am an “atheist of minerality,” preferring to ascribe minerality to the “lack of fruit expression.”

Winemaker Greg Saunders of White Rose Vineyards in the Willamette Valley is another skeptic. He told me the following. “When we use language to convey meaning, a basic premise is that we are using commonly defined terms. With minerality, we are not using a commonly defined term. If I say something tastes like blackberry, people can agree or disagree, but they can understand the reference. Minerality has no reference. My problem is with ambiguity. I am a dirt-eating farmer with a palate preference for calcerous clay. Where I come from, if you cannot have a common definition, we usually say the word is BS.”

Winemaker Fintan de Fresne believes that wine critics should abandon completely the use of the word “minerality.” He feels it is much too vague, and encouraged writers instead to try to use more specific descriptors.

As ambiguous as the term minerality is, there are some reasonably firm ideas to hang your hat on.

1. The word “minerality” is a relatively new term in common use today. Karen MacNeil pointed out that historically the word was not used, and first began to appear in the wine lexicon about 45 years ago. The word “minerality” is absent from Emile Peynaud’s The Taste of Wine (1983) and Ann Noble’s Wine Aroma Wheel (1984).

2. It is unlikely that minerals in the soil of a vineyard can travel up the roots and xylem into grapes and survive fermentation in large enough concentrations to produce identifiable mineral flavors. Most smart wine people believe this does not happen. Take calcium carbonate in limestone soil as an example. Fintan du Fresne points out that in such an alkaline soil, if that mineral compound was taken up by the vine, the resulting wine would have a high pH, but the resulting wines are instead high in acid. Dr. James Kennedy, speaking from the viewpoint of a chemist, does not see how calcium carbonate would be brought into wine and there is not evidence to support this. Some winemakers (Jason Jardine as an example) argue that the vine’s sap is a conduit and the vine uptakes soil-based mineral components such as iron that are reflected in the wine. Fintan du Fresne believes that the vine does uptake minerals but there is no direct correlation between minerals in the soil and flavors in wine. He argues that wines that are perceived as having minerality are often from rocky vineyards, but points out that rockier soils should provide less take up of minerals since “The vine can’t take up minerals from rocks.” However, Dr. James Kennedy would point out that it is possible that microorganisms can cause minerals in the bed rock to dissolve in the moisture in the soil and the vine may express the result. Clark Smith (Vinovation and winemaker) does not believe that grapes can take up complex nutrients. Do you understand how talk of minerality drives me crazy?

3. There are no clear correlations of any specific mineral compounds in wine with a “mineral” aroma or taste.

4. It is generally accepted that minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium are present in wine as mineral acids, but some have declared their concentration to be so low as to be tasteless and non-aromatic. Others, such as John Casey (wineanorak.com), have argued that, although minerals are not contributing to the perception of minerality, the inorganic cations and their salts contribute to the wine’s acidity and affect the taste of wine. Clark Smith (Vinovation, winemaker) agrees, pointing out that potassium levels are high enough in wine to contribute to the perception of body and flavor persistence in the finish. He is a proponent of negatively charged electrons as the driving force in minerality.

5. Of the five taste sensations, salt, sweet, acid, bitter, and umami, both salt and umami seem to be most related to the awareness of minerality. Minerality has been perceived as salty, briny or like soy sauce. Other aroma descriptors for minerality include flint, slate, metal, iron, wet rocks or stone (petrichor), chalk and smoke. A related aroma is earthiness.

6. Minerality is similar to, but not the same as acidity. Acidity is measurable, and as Steve Harvey points out, one can add more acid to a wine without changing the underlying perception of minerality. However, there appears to be an association. Mineral scientist David Killilea (Wine Business Monthly April 2013) said, “Minerality....is associated with a complex of other things, the most important of which is likely acidity.”

7. Whether minerality is more evident in younger (Dr. Kennedy) or older wines (Fintan du Fresne) is controversial. Some believe that clonal expression is more evident in young vines while there is more expression of site in older wines.

8. Minerality can be a euphemism for sulfur--based compounds due to reduction. Stressed fermentations can lead to aromas of onion, garlic, match stick and rotten eggs which at low levels can be interpreted as mineral. Fintan du Fresne points out that the perception of flint in wines from Chablis is due to a stylistic decision of the winemaker to incorporate reductive winemaking.

9. Another explanation for minerality is the volatile esters and thiols that occur during fermentation from the interaction of alcohol with organic acids leading to a wet stone aroma.

10. Most agree that minerality has an aroma, flavor and tactile component, but aroma is often the most prominent gauge of minerality.

11. Minerality is perceived more in white wines than red wines. Of the four winemakers who participated in the minerality seminar at the World of Pinot Noir, three said that minerality was more evident in white wine and one felt it was perceived equally in both white and red wines. I looked at several hundred reviews of Pinot Noir & Chardonnay from North America and France published in a recent issue of the Wine Spectator, the Wine Enthusiast, and The World of Fine Wine. The word “minerality” or variations thereof were used overwhelmingly more often with Chardonnay than Pinot Noir. The term was also used much more frequently for French Chardonnay than North American Chardonnay. Terminology included: mineral, mineral stamp, mineral vein, mineral nose, mineral depth, mineral punch, mineral finish, citrus-mineral nose, mineral-toned fruit, mineral apricot nose, mineral grip, mineral streak, mineral core, sense of mineral place, mineral-imbued fruit, mineral character, saline minerals, salty minerals, grippy mineral structure, mouthwatering mineral quality, minerality, fine minerality, stony minerality, streak of minerality, minerally finish, mineral fruit, mineral strength, minerally texture, minerally structure, minerally acidity, stony minerality. Stone, stony, crushed rock, wet stone, sense of rocks and stones, iron, steely character, steely grip, and salty were rarely used.

Dr. Kennedy summarized his talk at Pinot Paradise in the Santa Cruz Mountains, “Minerality in Wine: Searching for Common Elements,” with three possible explanations for minerality:

1. The existence of unique volatile chemistry associated within a site. Volatile compounds that arise from the soil can reach the grape and appear in the vine. Soil ecosystems provide a continuous cycle of life and death and decomposing matter releases volatile compounds. An example of this effect is the volatile oils released from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree that fall on the ground and decompose. The resulting camphor that appears in the wine from nearby vineyards is not something produced by the grape.

2. Fruit development. Terroir determines the composition of fruit and minerality is associated with specific fruit chemistries resulting from interaction of molecules.

3. Reductive winemaking and packaging (screwcaps for example).

The time I spent recently with Kevin Harvey and winemaker Jeff Brinkman of Rhys Vineyards tasting their 2011 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs was very enlightening. I tried to pin Kevin down about minerality since he is very knowledgeable on this subject and has based his entire winegrowing venture on seeking out sites, rootstocks, and clones and selections that reveal minerality. He believes, “The Santa Cruz Mountains are the most mineral-driven wines in the New World.” Kevin has a laid back drawl and manner about him that reflects his Texas upbringing, but he is a very smart guy who has studied the geology of the Santa Cruz Mountains in depth. He is a student of viticulture, has a full grasp of the wines of Burgundy, and is a devotee of terroir. Spend an hour with him and his wines and you will come away a believer in the gospel of minerality.

Kevin has an unshakable faith in the ability of rocky soils to express minerality in contrast to deep, more fertile soils which produce wines lacking in this character. Rocky soils drive roots deeper and deep rooted vines express more minerality. Kevin realizes that soil nutrients cannot pass directly into grapes but feels there are many other ways for minerals to be expressed in wine. One example would be through water stress and availability but there are so many factors involved that minerality is far too complicated to explain or understand. He told me, “Wine is just too complex and the incentives too small to justify the type of research that is necessary to fully understand the interplay of soil and wine.” Kevin had a cousin from Massachusetts Institute of Technology come to the winery with scientists from that prestigious school. When tasting the Rhys minerality, but they could appreciate the differences among wines from different sites and the various expressions of minerality, but they could not explain it.

For Kevin, minerality is expressed on the nose, through taste, and by tactile sensation in the mouth. Wines from his Horsehoe Vineyard always reveal a wet rock perfume both in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. On the palate, minerality is expressed as an “electric current.” From the standpoint of tactile sensation, minerality is a “digitization,” or a sensation of fine particles that leads to an extra dimension on the finish, a sense of fine-grain texture to tannins for example. He notes, “In French wine, a lot of what is attributed to acidity is actually minerality.”

The discussion of minerality can be best summarized by Kevin’s view. “Whether it is the scorched earth of Haut Brion, the Asian spice of La Tache, the rusty iron of Nuits St. Georges, or the seashells of Chablis, site-derived attributes are what make wine endlessly fascinating and not just a simple fruit drink. Distinctive site expression, of which minerality is a subset, is what causes all the world’s greatest wines to rise above the pack. It is the key to real, lasting complexity and interest and it is what causes wine to improve and become more complex with age as opposed to just mellowing. It is my belief that the mineral and nutrient composition of soil along with the specific resident biology and the physical properties of the soil combine to create a unique site expression in wine. I hope science can one day explain all of this, but while current science places too much emphasis and faith on an incomplete and undoubtedly inaccurate understanding, the everyday reality of minerality can be best experienced through a glass of wine.”

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Along The Pinot Trail: 2013 World of Pinot Noir

The 13th Annual World of Pinot Noir (WOPN) was held March 1-2, 2013, at The Cliffs Resort and Dolphin Bay Resort in Shell Beach California. WOPN is a non profit organization whose mission is to further the knowledge of Pinot Noir through educational seminars and tastings. All proceeds from this event go toward bringing great wines, and noted guest moderators, speakers and sommeliers from near and far, as well as supporting the Michael Bonaccorsi Endowment to fund scholarships for local viticulture and enology students at Allan Hancock College.

The event is billed as the “World of Pinot Noir,” but its location in California’s Central Coast and the predominance of Central Coast winery participants (about 45% of the over 150 wineries) give it a definite regional flavor. Over 1500 guests attend each year, and most attendees are hard core pinot geeks who revel in the camaraderie. (Veteran winemakers Ken Brown of Ken Brown Wines and Michael Sullivan of Benovia Winery are pictured below in the tents).

There were a number of seminars that were recorded and will be available for listening in the coming weeks at Grape Radio, www.graperadio.com, and the World of Pinot Noir website, www.wopn.com:

“Not Pinot Blanc, Not Pinot Gris - It’s White Pinot Noir!” Moderator Master Sommelier Fred Dane, Panelists Gary Horner (Erath), Jim Prosser (J.K. Carriere) and Zak Miller (Domaine Carneros)

“Up Close and Personal with Kosta Browne” Moderator Master Sommelier Fred Dane, Panelists Michael Browne, Dennis Koplen and Gary Pisoni

“Pinot Noir on the Rocks - The Question of ‘Minerality’” Moderator Karen MacNeil, Panelists Fintan du Fresne (Chamisal), Jason Jardine (Flowers), Mike Waller (Calera) and James Cahill (Soter Vineyards)

“Alcohol and Balance Redux, and How Vintage Comes Into Play” Moderator Karen MacNeil, Panelists Jim Clendenen (Au Bon Climat), Adam Lee (Siduri), Greg Brewer (Melville), Joe Davis (Arcadian) and Wells Guthrie (Copain)

“Terroir: the Soul of La Côte d’Or” Don Kinnan, CSS, CWE, lead instructor for the French Wine Society’s Master Burgundy Certificate presents a seminar on the wines, soils, climate and history of the Côte d’Or.

The buzz at this year's WOPN revolved around a few topics: (1) Pinot Noir Blanc - a fad that is a curiosity but certainly holds no long term interest; (2) Increasing use of some whole cluster fermentation - a trend that is highly dependent on vintage, vineyard and other factors; (3) The challenges of the 2011 vintage which was just plain cool and not in a good way - intensive work in the vineyard was required to save the vintage; (4) The challenge of adapting oak regimens to each vintage - barrels must be ordered in advance before vintage weather plays out; (5) Interest in the alcohol percentage and balance debate has faded.

I sampled many Pinot Noir wines both in the tents at Friday and Saturday’s Focus Tastings by the Sea and in the media room. Most wines offered were from the challenging 2010 and 2011 vintages. Although only tasted briefly, the following wines made an impression on me (no particular order)

RN Estate Vineyard & Winery Roger Nicolas has established a winery of note that features Rhone and Bordeaux varietals grown on a ridge six miles north of Paso Robles and Pinot Noirs sourced from cooler regions of the Central Coast. The Pinot Noirs are crafted in small lots in a food-friendly style that appeals to me. Roger was offering a vertical of Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

La Rochelle This Livermore Valley winery is doing a commendable job with Pinot Noir sources throughout California and Oregon including Soberanes, Sleepy Hollow, Rosella’s, Donum Estate, Londer, Paraiso, Tondre Grapefield, Ferrington, Savoy and Deer Park vineyards.

Paul Lato Wines I visited Paul just before WOPN and tasted some of his 2011 Pinot Noirs that have now been released, and as always, sold out. I will report on these wines and a few more that I have yet to taste in an upcoming issue. Paul’s wines are all about harmony and elegance, produced from very carefully managed vineyard blocks with low yields.

Keefer Ranch Wines A family owned and farmed vineyard and winery in the Green Valley sub appellation of the Russian River Valley. I have found the wines consistently superb from this well-known vineyard that also supplies grapes to top notch Pinot Noir producers such as Kosta Browne and Siduri.

Left Coast Cellars Located in the Willamette Valley in Rickreall, Oregon, winemakers Luke McCollom and Joe Wright (pictured below) source from estate vineyards planted to Dijon, Pommard and Wädenswil Pinot Noir clones. Farming practices are organic and sustainable to encourage the vitality of the vines in the rocky, shallow soils. The estate grown Pinot Noirs are superb and the White Pinot Noir and Rosé of Pinot Noir are exceptional.

Ken Brown Wines Ken has been making wine for more than 35 years at Zaca Mesa, Byron Winery and now Ken Brown Wines. He produces small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah from top vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley. Total production is 2,000 cases. What impresses me about Ken is that he offers his wines proudly at many events, and is always present to patiently answer questions, never sending a stand-in despite years of wine event participation.

Domaine Carneros The still Pinot Noir wines from this sparkling wine producer owned by the Taittinger family are hidden gems. This winery began Pinot Noir production in 1992, but in recent years winemaker Eileen Crane has been offering exceptional Pinot Noir from the estate’s 138 acres of certified organic vineyards. The estate offering is a solid everyday drinker and the limited release The Famous Gate and Avant-Garde bottlings are worth exploring.

Papapietro Perry A specialist in small lots of single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Zinfandel produced from the Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast and Dry Creek Valley. One of the premier producers of Pinot Noir in California. As I was tasting through a number of wines and came upon the Papapietro Perry Pinot Noirs, it was immediately evident that these wines were a step up in quality.

Keller Estate Located in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast, this winery produces estate grown wines including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 650-acre ranch was first planted to Chardonnay in 1989 and Pinot Noir in 1999. The Keller Estate label appeared in 2000 under the direction of Ana Keller. In addition, many vineyard-designated wines have been produced from the estate La Cruz Vineyard by top wineries such as Arista, La Rochelle and Zapaltas.

J Vineyards & Winery This winery has a 25 year legacy in the Russian River Valley. Known for its stellar sparkling wines, Winemaker Melissa Stackhouse and Founder and President Judy Jordan are also dedicated now to producing serious, terroir-driven Pinot Noirs from estate vineyards in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast.

More Pinot Noir. Remember that not every wine has to be exceptional to be enjoyed. New York Times wine writer and critic, Eric Asimov, notes (The World of Fine Wine Issue 39, 2013), “We need to pay greater attention to wines intended for drinking rather than to wines that will be collected.”

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Finding the Central Coast

The Central Coast AVA, established in 1985, is vast, stretching 250 miles along the California coastline from the San Francisco Bay to Santa Barbara County. It is the largest AVA in California, encompassing six counties, and averaging 25 miles in width, stretching over 4 million (or 5 million depending on the source) acres with 90,300 to 100,000 acres (again, depending on the source) planted to wine grapes. 50% of the plantings are Chardonnay. There are approximately 600 wineries, producing 15% of the state’s wine production. 30 smaller sub-AVAs reside within the large Central Coast AVA.

Not surprisingly, consumers are confused about the Central Coast. Andrew Adams, writing in Wines & Vines (March 19, 2013), noted that Michael Heintz, the senior marketing director for E. & J. Gallo reported, “Surveys of consumers found the term “Central Coast” often left them confused or thinking of the central coast areas nearest to where they lived.” Some consumers thought Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo were in Mexico!

It might be prudent for World of Pinot Noir to change its name to Central Coast Pinot Noir Festival and limit the wines to those produced in the Central Coast AVA or wines made from grapes grown in the Central Coast AVA. The Grand Tasting venue could be divided into, for example, Santa Lucia Highlands & Monterey County, San Luis Obispo including Arroyo Grande and Edna Valley, Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills. The Pinot Noirs from each of these regions do have some regional characteristics and this could be emphasized to the attendees. I believe regional identity is a key factor in consumer wine buying decisions.

One of the challenges of the Central Coast is that it is largely agricultural and lacks the infrastructure for tourism found in popular California wine tourism appellations such as Sonoma County and Napa County. Santa Cruz Mountains does have many lodging and restaurant choices, but the wineries are spread out, many wineries are open infrequently or not at all, and the region does not condone proper signage that would make it more convenient to find winery locations. San Luis Obispo has some limited tourism infrastructure and is reasonably close to Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande. Santa Maria Valley is lacking but is only a thirty minute drive from good lodging and restaurant choices in the Santa Ynez Valley. Santa Rita Hills is reasonably close to Santa Ynez and Buellton.

After the World of Pinot Noir, I spent a morning with James Ontiveros, owner of Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and Native 9 Wines, partner in Alta Maria Winery with winemaker Paul Wilkins, and Director of Sales and Marketing at Bien Nacido Vineyard, Solomon Hills Vineyard, French Camp Vineyard and Central Coast Wine Services. He is a 9th-generation land owner whose ancestors owned the 8,900-acre Rancho Tepusquet land grant in northern Santa Barbara County. A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, James has spent much of his life in the Central Coast.

I jumped in his car, and with his family dog on my lap, we set off to view the vineyards and wineries of the Santa Maria Valley. I learned a bit of history of the region as well. We traversed both the Eastern and Western portions of the east-west transverse valley and river lands, a huge alluvial plain cut out by the Santa Maria River. This transverse valley is responsible for the suitability of the Santa Maria Valley AVA for wine grape growing. Cool maritime influences are channeled into the wide valley, and if the Santa Maria Valley was not situated at this southerly latitude, it would be too cool to ripen grape varieties to full maturity. The combination of maritime winds and fog produces a long growing season averaging 125 days from bloom to harvest. The daytime temperature rarely exceeds 75º F and it is rare for the AVA to receive enough excessive heat to shut down the vines. The map below can be seen full size at www.santamariavalleywinecountry.com. Looking at the map, one can appreciate that there is still a vast amount of undeveloped prime vineyard land that is currently being used for cattle grazing and other agricultural pursuits.

The most striking new development in the Santa Maria Valley is the widespread replacement of old vines originally planted in the early 1970s. The replacement of old vines varies from hundreds of acres at Cambria and Byron to more modest re-plantings at vineyards like Bien Nacido and Clark and Telephone. The Nielson Vineyard at Byron is the oldest commercial vineyard in Santa Barbara County and was planted in 1964, but is now being replaced with the newest rootstocks and clones, taking advantage of modern viticulture knowledge and years of winegrowing experience in the Santa Maria Valley. James pointed out how the newer plantings in the valley are being laid out with more consideration of aspect and topography. Some would decry the loss of old vines, but James responds that the much of the old vine acreage had been under performing and underwhelming. “Small blocks of old vines are interesting, but we don’t need thousands of acres.”

While attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, James met Paul Wilkins. They started the campus Vines & Wines Club modestly with only twelve members. After graduating from college, James went to work for E. & J. Gallo in Sonoma County, unaware that the Vines & Wines Club had become the most popular club on campus. He received a call from one of the club’s members asking permission for a group to visit Gallo. James didn’t think to ask exactly how many people would attend. On the day of the visit, two busloads of college kids showed up. 70% of the club had become girls and James was suddenly confronted with a “Girls Gone Wild” scenario.

Paul became a winemaker after college, and in 2005, he and James became partners in Alta Maria Winery & Vineyards. Alta Maria Pinot Noir is intended to be a reasonably priced “snapshot of the Santa Maria Valley.” James has gradually locked up long-term sources for grapes for Alta Maria including Bien Nacido, Rancho Sisquoc, and Garey Vineyard.

James is most excited about the newest Alta Maria vineyard source. He has obtained a long term lease with an option to buy the 27-acre vineyard, Rancho Vinedo, located adjacent Bien Nacido Vineyard and possessing very similar soils (the vineyard site is visible on the map above). The vineyard was originally planted in 1972 and has been a source of grapes for Au Bon Climat. A family-run project, the vineyard has been slightly neglected and subjected to years of herbicides. James is upgrading the farming to organic, altering the pruning and trellising regimen, interplanting, and converting some of the Chardonnay back to Pinot Noir. Many years ago, Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach advised the vineyard owners to graft a portion of the Pinot Noir over to Chardonnay. Some of those vines are now being refocused by James to return them to Pinot Noir production, giving him 42-year-old own-rooted Pinot Noir vines. Remarkably, the vineyard was part of the Ontiveros family’s original ranch, so in essence, he is “slowly taking it back.” A new name for the vineyard is under consideration.

We drove to Rancho Sisquoc, the site of previous Santa Barbara County Harvest Festivals. At the eastern edge of the Santa Maria Valley, the property spans an astounding 36,000 acres of which 300 acres are planted to vineyards. This area is less windy and warmer in some parts allowing varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc to be successfully grown there. The Flood family, who were notable silver kings in Nevada, have owned the property since the early 1970s. James worked as a cowboy on the ranch while a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The Ranch Sisquoc winery tasting room is a real throwback to the early ranching days of the Santa Maria Valley and with the cattle headquarters adjacent, one sees cowboys and winemakers intermingling.

Our final stop was Presqu’ile Winery, located on Clark Road, on the western side of the Santa Maria Valley close to Solomon Hills and Clark & Telephone vineyards. This is a remarkable property, when completed in June 2013, will become the jewel of the Santa Maria Valley AVA. Presqu’ile (“press-KEEL”) is owned by the Murphy Family who named the winery Presqu’ile, after the Creole word meaning “almost an island.” The reference is to the gathering place of 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 have joined with winemaker Dieter Cronjie and vineyard manager Jim Stollberg to form the soul of Presqu’ile.

The 73 acres of certified sustainably farmed vineyards are located on a 200-acre property. The Murphys have added to the initial plantings of the previous Addamo vineyards on the site. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a little Nebbiolo make up the vineyard composition. Beginning with the 2010 vintage, most of the Presqu’ile wines became estate grown.

James took me on a tour of the new visitor center, caves and winery built into a hillside. Although still under construction, the facility is already stunning with a tasteful modern architectural presence, and a large gravityflow winery outfitted with all the latest winemaking technology. Visitors will be taken from the caves by elevator to an entertainment venue that offers a breathtaking view of the entire Santa Maria Valley. This will undoubtedly become the first stop for visitors to the Santa Maria Valley and significantly increase the awareness among consumers of the magnificence of the wines from the Santa Maria Valley.

The Murphys have become partners in Alta Maria Winery & Vineyards and the Alta Maria vines will be produced at the new Presqu’ile winemaking facility. Matt Murphy (cap), Jonathan Murphy (jacket) and Dieter Cronjie (gray sweater) are pictured. Visit www.presquilewine.com and www.altammaria.com.

The Chardonnay Symposium: Tickets are now on sale for The Chardonnay Symposium in Santa Maria Valley July 19-21. The weekend full of events will include a Dinner Tribute to Jim Clendenen at the Historic Bien Nacido Adobe on Friday, July 19, and The Chardonnay Symposium and Grand Chardonnay Tasting at Byron Vineyard & Winery on Saturday, July 20. For tickets and information visit www.thechardonnaysymposium.com.

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Pence Ranch: Promising New Central Coast Producer

The Pence Ranch Estate Vineyard, part of a 200-acre working ranch and polyculture, is planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Grenache, just east of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. The vineyard is situated on an elevated plateau that is fully exposed to the maritime winds and morning fog. It is the first vineyard in the region to incorporate advanced computer modeling in its design taking into account multiple soil types, sun exposures, drainage patterns and other elements. The result is 19 different blocks (10 currently producing) totaling 50.4 acres planted beginning in 2006. Comprising 12 different clones and 5 rootstocks, the vineyard includes both modern clones (Dijon 667, 115, 828, 459, and 777, and Pommard and 2A for Pinot Noir and Dijon 76 and Mt. Eden for Chardonnay) and heirloom selections (Swan, Mt. Eden), planted at a density of 1,815 vines per acre (8’ x 3’). The vines are spur pruned with unilateral cordon and vertical shoot positioning. Sustainable farming practices are employed throughout.

The proprietors are Blair Pence and Holly Brooks. Pence has a long obsession with Pinot Noir and has traveled frequently to Burgundy to observe how grapes are farmed and vinified. He says, “I would be lying if I said my team and I do not have the highest aspirations for our vineyard and our wine program. When you pursue Pinot Noir seriously, you have to go big, or go home. We have spared no expense in developing our site. It is a purposeful vineyard, in that everything was done very deliberately to achieve the highest level of quality in our wines. Our philosophy is a non interventionist, site-driven one.” Vineyard management is under the direction of Francisco Ramirez, Stan Kadota and Daniel Garibay. The winemaker is veteran Jeff Fink, formerly a winemaker at Tantara.

The Pence Ranch Estate is located just outside the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, so Pence has recently filed a petition with the TTB to extend the eastern boundary of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA to include Pence Ranch Vineyard as well as John Sebastiano Vineyard and Rio Vista Vineyard. The board of the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrower Alliance has opposed the expansion because the area has a north-south orientation in contrast to the current east-west orientation of the AVA and lacks the same maritime influence of the current AVA. Pence may need to initiate a proposal for a new AVA.

Grapes have been sold in previous years to a number of Santa Barbara County wineries. The inaugural 2010 Pence Ranch Estate wines were sourced from five producing blocks. Average yields were 1.35 tons per acre. Harvest was between September 20 and October 12 (both before and after an intervening heat spike).

Winemaking for the inaugural 2010 vintage was as follows. After night picking, the grapes were rigorously sorted in the vineyard and at the winery. Both native and inoculated fermentations were carried out in small open-top fermenters. Some whole cluster was used depending on ripeness of stems and the general health of the fruit. Free run juice was barreled directly from the fermenter. The press wine fractions were combined and barreled separately. The wines were aged in 1-year and older French oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation was indigenous. The wines were sometimes racked in summer after the completion of malolactic fermentation, with no further racking before bottling which occurred after 19 to 22 months in barrel.

Three of the four wines from the 2010 vintage are reviewed here. Not tasted was one barrel of Swan selection Pinot Noir that was so singular it had to be bottled on its own. This wine was aged in a 2007 Francois Frères barrel for 19 months (23 cases, $80). The three wines I tasted were impressive for their aromatics, fruit attack, and finishing intensity. The word promiscuous seems appropriate.

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Cruzin’ the Pinot Trail: Pinot Paradise in the Santa Cruz Mountains

There is no other wine region even remotely like the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is one of the cradles of Pinot Noir in California, but is better known for its eccentric and Bohemian residents than its viticultural heritage. The reasons for this are evident when you cruz throughly the hilly, heavily wooded landscape. Unlike every other major winegrowing region in California, wineries and vineyards are not visible from major highways and roads. Vineyard sites are often in rugged, remote areas, tucked into a nook or cranny among the heavily forested countryside or perched on a hilltop accessible only by a length and precariously narrow road. Guideposts and signage directing visitors to wineries is nonexistent and locals quickly remove even the smallest roadside placard. Roads often zigzag and traversing them is agonizingly slow. Speaking of zigzag, the low-key residents of the Santa Cruz Mountains often have more interest in the crop you can smoke than the one you can drink.

The Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Appellation (AVA) was federally approved in 1981, and was one of the first AVAs to be defined by geophysical, altitudinal and climatic factors. The eastern and western boundaries are defined by elevation, namely mountainous land above 400 feet on the western side and from 400 to 800 feet on the eastern side. The squiggly outline of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA reflects the fog line that surrounds the mountains.

This large appellation stretches over 408,000 acres incorporating parts of three counties: Santa Cruz County to the west, Santa Clara County to the east, and San Mateo County to the north. It can easily take two hours (about 100 miles) to drive from one end of the AVA to the other. The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is not included in the Central Coast AVA (but part of Santa Cruz County is).

There are many small family owned vineyards (over 200) and wineries (90+), and the total vineyard acreage reported by the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association is roughly 1500 acres divided evenly among Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and other varieties such as Merlot and Zinfandel. (Exact, up-to-date figures for vineyard acreage, number of vineyards and wineries is unavailable in keeping with the laid back vibe in this region. Previous research done by me a few years ago indicated 600+ acres of Pinot Noir). A single vineyard in some California appellations have as much if not more acreage than the Santa Cruz Mountains has in its entire AVA. The largest commercial vineyards are between 40 and 60 acres. As you can imagine, wine grapes are a scarce commodity and in considerable demand.

There are a myriad of microclimates in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but wine grapes are planted in three general climates: (1) coastal vineyards are typically at lower elevations with fog burning off late in the morning, (2) high mountain and summit vineyards are above the fog, (3) valley slopes on the eastern side of the mountains along the peninsula which are warmer. The AVA has been further divided into six sub-regions according to flavor profiles. One of the six, Ben Lomond Mountain is a true sub-AVA of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The other five are Saratoga/Los Gatos, Summit Road, The Coastal Foothills (Los Ranchos), and Corralitos/Pleasant Valley. For more information visit www.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/645/Renaissance-Grape.html. An approximation of the sub-regions is illustrated below.

Since the Santa Cruz Mountains are relatively isolated and have no large corporate involvement, they wines have retained a charming innocence and purity, seemingly unaffected by the trends that drive the sales of large wine producers. The wines are characterized by an earthy, mineral quality, complex and intense flavors, and balanced acidity that allows them to age well. There are few vestiges of the style of Pinot Noirs of the 1970s and 1980s when many Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noirs were rustic, chunky and tannic, and often poorly crafted. Today, the Pinot Noirs, led by producers such as Alfaro Family Vineyards & Winery, Big Basin Vineyards, Mount Eden and Domaine Eden, Rhys Vineyards, Windy Oaks Vineyards & Winery, Thomas Fogarty Winery and Varner & Neely, are thoroughly modern in style with commendable value-to-price ratios.

A major reason for the modernization of Pinot Noir from this region is due to the widespread use of current viticultural know how. A number of experienced vineyard consultants, including Prudy Foxx and Greg Stokes, are actively assisting clients in choosing appropriate sites and aspects, planting the proper rootstocks and clones to match the sites, overseeing proper trellising, canopy management, and emphasizing sustainable vineyard practices. The result has been a notable improvement in wine quality.

This quote from the book, Sideways, seems to be referring to Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir. “It’s a hard grape to grow....it’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early....it’s not a survivor like Cabernet, which grow anywhere and thrive even when it’s neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention....it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked-away corners of the world.”

One of the challenges of the organizers of Pinot Paradise is to enlist more participation by Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association (SCMWA) members. There is an apparent lack of cohesiveness among winery members. Of the 80 wineries listed in the latest SCMWA brochure, only 35 participated in the Grand Cruz Tasting held on Sunday, March 24. Prominent members who were absent included Bonny Doon Vineyard, Clos de la Tech, David Bruce Winery, Loma Prieta, McHenry Vineyard, Rhys Vineyards, Salamandre Wine Cellars,Testarossa, and Windy Oaks Estate. Well-regard Pinot Noir producers Neely and Varner are not listed as members of SCMWA and did not participate.

I attended the Pinot Paradise Technical Session on “Minerality - Taste and Terroir” held at the historic Mountain Winery in Saratoga. This was originally Paul Masson’s winery named La Cresta, that was completed in 1905. It was destroyed by the San Francisco earthquake a year later, but by 1907 a new winery stood in its place. Masson became quite successful until Prohibition intervened. By the time of Repeal in 1933, Masson, now a widower (he was married to noted vintner Charles Lefranc’s daughter, Louise), had lost most of his fortune and in 1936 sold his winery to Martin Ray. Since then the ownership of the property has changed hands numerous times. In 1958, an amphitheater was built on the grounds and The Mountain Winery became known for its Summer Concert Series. The current owners of The Mountain Winery have dedicated themselves to protecting the natural beauty of the estate. Many events and weddings are now held at the venue. The Mountain Winery also produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from estate grapes under the direction of winegrower Jeffrey Patterson of Mount Eden.

The moderator of the “Minerality- Taste and Terroir” seminar was David Glancy, a wine educator and founder of the San Francisco Wine School. Panel winemakers included Duncan Meyers of Arnot-Roberts Winery, Bradley Brown of Big Basin Vineyards, Nathan Kandler of Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyards and Jim Schultze of Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards & Winery. Each of the panelists presented a wine intended to show minerality. It is always challenging to attempt to taste wine while a seminar is in progress, but for me, although all wines showed bright acidity, the Thomas Fogarty wine was the only wine to reveal minerality.

Josh Jensen of Calera Wine Company was scheduled to speak on minerality after the panel presentation, but illness prevented him from attending. His winemaker, Mike Waller filled in and presented three wines. Waller noted that because of the large percentage of whole cluster in Calera wines, the added potassium elevates the pH and acid must be added. The Calera wines definitely showed minerality.

The Grand Cruz Tasting was held in Campbell at the Villa Regusa event center. Each year participating wineries offer a 3.0 L bottle for a silent auction to raise money to support SCMWA. In addition, a cuvée of vintages 2007 through 2011 of 36 Santa Cruz Mountains wineries was offered at auction. SCMWA president Dave Moulton of Burrell School Winery is shown holding the cuvée.

Before opening to the public, a pre-tasting was available to members of the press and trade and I was able to sample a number of wines from the 35 participating wineries. Here are the wines at the Grand Cruz Tasting that caught my fancy with brief tasting impressions.

I tasted a mini-vertical of Pinot Noirs from Muns Vineyard. Ed Muns farms a 13-acre vineyard that is the highest in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 2,600 feet. Soils vary from rich loam to shale to red clay. Planting occurred from 1998 to 2005 with Dijon clones 114, 115, 667 and 777. Farming is sustainable and impeccable. 90% of production is sold to prominent producers including Beauregard Vineyards, Silver Mountain Vineyards, Sonnet, Soquel Vineyards and Thomas Fogarty. The Muns Vineyard wines were first produced in 2003 and are crafted by owner Ed Muns and winemaker Tony Craig. All the wines are 100% de-stemmed, whole berry fermented, aged in Hungarian oak barrels and are unfined and unfiltered. Common threads in the wines are red cherry fruit, bright acidity and firm tannins. Ed predicted the 2012 vintage will be terrific as there was no rain, harvest occurred on schedule, and the grape chemistries were perfect.

2010 Muns Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir Unreleased, not reviewed.

Pleasant Valley Vineyards Winemaker Craig Handley was pouring three Pinot Noirs from Lester Family Vineyards in Corralitos, about a miles from his winery. Soils are sandy. 100% de-stemmed, whole berry, fermented in small lots. Aged in 50% new and 50% 1-year-old French oak barrels.

For information on the wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains, visit SCMWA at www.scmwa.com or phone 831-685-8463. For information on the vineyards of the Santa Cruz Mountains, visit the Viticulture Association of the Santa Cruz Mountains (VASCM) at www.vascm.org.

For extensive information on the Santa Cruz Mountains winegrowing region also visit the PinotFile at www.princeofpinot.com and enter “Santa Cruz Mountains” under the Google search feature.

Santa Cruz Mountains Passport Day will be Saturday, April 20, 2013, presented by SCMWA.

Santa Cruz Mountains Vintner’s Marketplace will be held at Santana Row in San Jose, California on April 21, 2013. Similar to a farmer’s market, this event allows you to sample and buy wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Over 20 Santa Cruz Mountains wineries will participate, including Beauregard Vineyards, Burrell School Vineyards, Muns Vineyard, Silver Mountain, Storrs Winery and Windy Oaks Estate. Admission will be free but wine tasting requires purchase of tickets. Visit www.scmwa.com for information. Oops, the event is sold out!

Santa Cruz Mountains Vintners’ Festival will be June 1-2 and 8-9, 2013. The first weekend features wineries of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties and the second weekend wineries of Santa Cruz County. Tickets are now available at www.scmwa.com.

A good source of Santa Cruz Mountains wines is the wine bar and retailer, Vinocruz, located at 725 Front St., #101, in Santa Cruz. Visit www.vinocruz.com.

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Cruzin’ to Windy Oaks Estate Vineyard & Winery

It has been a couple of years since I lasted visited proprietor Jim Schultze at Windy Oaks. Windy Oaks farms 26 acres of Pinot Noir divided among 15 acres on the main winery site first planted in 1996, 7 acres nearby, and 4 acres in Aptos. Jim proudly showed me his new plantings of Chambertain selection and cuttings from previous Burgundy selection plantings that had been cleaned up by microshoot technology (photo below).

The photo below shows the aspect of Windy Oaks Estate, overlooking Monterey Bay in the distance and situated mostly above the fog line. This is a very cool, rugged site exposed to maritime weather. The growing season is one of the longest in California, often extending well into October or even early November. The vines, clones 115, 667, 777, 828, 2A, Pommard, and Burgundy selections, are meticulously farmed.

Jim directs all the vineyard management and winemaking. He likes to say, “I do the most I can in the vineyard and the least I can in the winery.” Jim’s two sons are now actively participating in the winery as well. Son Spencer Schultze also crafts a small amount of Pinot Noir from a neighboring vineyard under the “Eleven” label. Most fermentations use 50% ambient yeast and last an incredibly long 30 to 45 days. 25% to 30% whole cluster is the rule since the stems are often ripe, but Jim produces a limited amount of 100% whole cluster Pinot Noir. Jim is obsessive about his oak regimen and travels to Burgundy each year to meet with coopers. He uses 3-year-old air-dried tight-grained French oak barrels exclusively. Typical, he ages the wines for 17-27 months in 35% new oak with larger percentages in certain bottlings. His compact winery has all the toys for proper Pinot Noir vinification including a basket press and a modern bottling line.

A new project, “Windy Oaks Whites,” will feature tank-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris from purchased non-estate grapes priced in the $17 to $22 range. The first vintage will be 2012.

Windy Oaks sells a high percentage of their wine directly to an active mailing list and visitors to the tasting room located on the property which is open Saturdays, 12:00 to 5:00. Wine club members receive significant discounts. Visit www.windyoakestate.com.

I tasted through several 2010 Windy Oaks Estate Pinot Noirs and the 2010 Chardonnay. Jim told me farming was very challenging in the 2010 vintage, but the wines turned out well. I couldn’t agree more.

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Spelunking & Tasting at Rhys Vineyards

Rhys Vineyards winery facility, opened in 2010, is located inside a 30,000 square foot cave on Skyline Blvd. in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There is nothing like this 10,000-case state-of-the-art winery in the region and it is almost breathtaking in scope. Grapes enter through one cave door, meet with modern sorting and destemming equipment, and progress to 120 (eventually to be 150) 1-ton stainless steel fermenters in mobile pods. Efficiency is the goal, with the winery laid out in a fashion to avoid moving equipment. Water, compressed air and glycol are available everywhere. The result is that the entire harvest can be managed with a small crew. After fermentation, the wines are sent to barrel storage wings of the cave monitored carefully for humidity to avoid concentrating the wines and artificially elevating alcohol percentages. Wines are not racked after barreling until blended for bottling and all wine flow is by the gentle push of bulldog equipment. The finished wines are packed for shipping in a devoted wing of the cave, and wines leave through a second exit cave door. The modest cave entrance shown below belies what is inside.

The name, Rhys, is derived from the Welsh spelling of Reese. Owner Kevin Harvey has five diverse vineyards with distinct geological profiles in the Santa Cruz Mountains Two vineyards, Family Farm and Home, are technically just outside the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA but produce wines that are Santa Cruz Mountains in character. The other three vineyards are Alpine, Skyline and Horseshoe Ranch. The first estate vineyard Pinot Noir release came in 2004, and the 2007 vintage was the first in which all five vineyards were in production.

A sixth vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, with 18 plantable acres, is currently named Pajaro Vineyard after the Pajaro soils at the site. Acquired and planted more recently, it is located very close to Windy Oaks Estate in Corralitos, and will produce its first commercial harvest in 2015 or 2016. Plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay here are very high density (3.5' x 2' and 3.5' x 3'). A seventh estate vineyard, Bearwallow, is located in the deep end of the Anderson Valley and contains existing Dijon clones planted in the manner common several years ago combined with newer more high-density heritage clone plantings.

All Rhys vineyards meet important criteria: shallow soils which limit vigor, soils that are iron-rich, markedly fractured and rocky subsoils which allow vine roots to penetrate deeply, moderate clay content and limited water holding capacity, steep non-forested slopes, higher elevations, and a cool climate. Harvey is a firm believer that higher, rockier sites with thinner soils produce wines with more desirable minerality. Yields from grapes grown in these conditions are typically very low.

Harvey has shunned the newer Dijon clones for the most part and instead planted heritage selections such as Calera, Swan, La Tache, Hyde and Wente. In time, vines are identified that produce optimal quality at each vineyard site and some vines are re-grafted with cuttings from these best performing vines. The result is a selection massale or mixture of selections. Rootstocks are Riparia and 120A, known for having the lowest rigor. Rhys Alpine Vineyard is shown below.

Picking is done over a several day interval to obtain grapes of variable ripeness, usually in the lower Brix ranges. Grapes are often placed 100% whole cluster in 1-ton fermenters, but the percentage of whole cluster can vary depending on the experiential history with each vineyard. Harvey says about whole cluster, “When it works, it always makes a better wine.” All fermentations are by ambient yeast, and punchdowns are carried out by foot treading. The wines are pressed off with a basket press and gravity fed into 4-year air-dried Francois Fréres French oak barrels. Wines spend approximately 14 months in barrel after which time they are blended. The percentage of new oak varies but is modest. All wines are unfined and unfiltered.

Rhys Pinot Noir is not only distinctive for the Santa Cruz Mountains, it is unique among wines in North America. The wines are generally between 12.5% and 13.5% alcohol, but exhibit ripe fruit phenolics. They show no intrusion of oak and have well honed acidity. They are serious wines with many botttlings showing fresh fruit upon entry, but finishing with minerality. A goal at Rhys is to avoid the sweet fruit finish that is common among many California Pinot Noirs, especially those made from deep, fertile soils. The high percentage of whole cluster adds nuance and age ability. Winemaker Jeff Brinkman and Harvey have gradually refined their winemaking based on experience with their sites. For example, the 2007 and 2008 vintage wines had a prolonged period during which they were closed. The 2009 and 2010 vintage wines have not shown that propensity and it is assumed that this is due to subtle winemaking changes such as cool ferments and less extraction. The Rhys Pinot Noirs drink better early since the 2009 vintage but should age just as well.

Harvey invited me to taste the 2011 Rhys wines from bottle in the confines of the Rhys cave. I feel quite fortunate to have this experience for two reasons. First, there is a two year waiting list to get on the mailing list to buy Rhys wines (yields were high in 2012 and more people will be added to the mailing list for that vintage). Second, the 2011 production was pitifully low, 25% of normal. Harvey remarked that his next newsletter offering the 2011 wines will be titled, “Never have we fought so hard for so little.” He said 2011 was “California at its coolest.” The wines had been bottled just a few weeks prior. The small amount of wine that was produced is impressive. The Pinot Noirs have plenty of aromatic, flavor and textural interest and there are no sweet, cloying finishes.

I also tasted the Horseshoe, Swan Terrace and Skyline 2012 Pinot Noirs from barrel and I won’t torture you with my superlatives. All I can say, this is a Goldilocks vintage where everything is just right. Quantity and quality are equal. Buy every bottle of 2012 Rhys Pinot Noir you can get your hands on!

Because production was so low in 2011, the Alesia label (Rhys wines made from purchased grapes) was revived in a search for grapes from a vineyard site that fit the Rhys profile. Alder Springs Vineyard in northern Mendocino County was chosen. Situated at 2,500 feet, is quite rocky with sparse topsoils.

Chardonnay is one of the most popular wines from Rhys. Normal production is about 700 cases, but this will increase with new plantings at Bearwallow and Pajaro vineyards. The Chardonnays are barrel fermented with no lees stirring since Harvey believes this makes Chardonnay “blurry.” Selections are primarily Wente and Hyde with small amounts of Dijon 76 clone. You need to look elsewhere if you want ripe, leesy, buttery and oaky Chardonnay.

Family Farm and Home vineyards are but 350 to 400 yards apart with similar climates, comparable clones, but they lie in different geological zones and are completely distinct wines from one another. The Home Pinot Noir is exotic with typically aromas of an Eastern spice bazaar. The 2011 vintage is the first to include new plantings at the Home Vineyard which are of higher density with better rootstock and clone combinations. Harvey says the Home “would be a good addition to a Burgundy blind tasting.” Whole cluster is a little too pronounced at 100% with the Family Farm vineyard.

Horseshoe and Alpine vineyards were tasted in tatum as they close together with the same climate. The soils, however, are quite different, and the resulting wines from each vineyard are dissimilar. This is a good example for demonstrating the role of terroir, specifically soils. Wines from Horseshoe display considerable minerality, both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Horseshoe wines were great initially, then declined for a couple of years, and now have returned to greatness with the 2012 vintage. Harvey calls the wines from Horseshoe Vineyard “more intellectual and introverted.” Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir, on the other hand, has its assets as well but does not show as much minerality. A subsection of Alpine, Swan Terrace, is usually bottled separately and is often my favorite among all the Rhys Pinot Noirs, but was included in the Alpine bottling in 2011.

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Sips of Oregon Pinot Noir: Recently Sampled Wines

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Sips of California Pinot Noir: Recently Sampled Wines

Chasseur - Hunter Wine Cellars Proprietor and winemaker Bill Hunter produces about 2,700 cases of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay and Vin Gris from west Sonoma County vineyards at a garagiste winery in Sebastopol in the retired Vacu-Dry apple processing plant on Gravenstein Highway. The small size allows Hunter complete control over the winemaking process. Chasseur wines are highly allocated and sold almost exclusively through a mailing list. Five vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs were produced in 2010 and one Russian River Valley appellation Pinot Noir. The vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs are very impressive considering the challenges of the 2010 vintage. The wines are consistently fine and in this cooler vintage show more differences in the terroir from the different vineyard sites. Highly recommended.

Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards The name of this winery, previously Freestone Vineyards, has been changed beginning with the 2009 vintage to more prominently feature the owner’s name and heritage. Winemaker Theresa Heredia (now at Gary Farrell Winery & Vineyards) told me the following about the 2010 wines she crafted at Freestone Vineyards. “We went to the extreme in this vintage to eliminate all the raisins and mildew, both in the vineyard and on the sorting table. We only processed one 4.5 to 5 ton tank per day as compared to an average of about 15 to 20 tons per day in a larger crop year like 2008. The sorting was extremely slow in 2010 and we lost about 25% to 30% of the Pinot Noir after sorting was complete.” She recalls that the Pinot Noirs were 60% to 75% whole cluster.

Longoria Rick Longoria has been making wine in Santa Barbara County since the Ice Age, no make that 1982. His wines are dependable and reasonably priced. The estate Fe Ciega Vineyard in 2010 and 2011 was especially memorable.

Stomping Girl Wines This is a husband and wife owned winery based in Sebastopol with an urban outpost in Berkeley. Kathryn and Uzi Cohen have owned and operated Stomping Girl Wines since 2008 sourcing grapes from top vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Stomping Girl Wines was founded in honor of Uzi’s grandmother who began the tradition of family winemaking in Israel and recruited Uzi as a young boy to stomp grapes during harvest. Years later, Uzi and Kathryn were inspired by the childhood memories while visiting family in Burgundy, and decided to revive the family’s winemaking tradition. They began by making wine in their home cellar in 2003, and as their knowledge and fondness for winemaking grew, they founded Stomping Girl Wines in 2008. The first vintage at a bonded premise produced 100 cases. In 2009 and 2010, production grew to just under 500 cases at a shared facility in Berkeley, CA. They are active members in the East Bay Vintners Alliance, a wine association made up of 23 urban wineries. In 2011, Stomping Girl Wines moved to a shared facility in Sebastopol where they produce close to 1000 cases, while maintaining their outpost in Berkeley. Both Chardonnay (Hyde Vineyard) and Pinot Noir are produced.

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Sips of Chardonnay: Recently Sampled Wines

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Pinot Briefs

Winesong Charity Auction & Tasting Bradley Ogden returns as celebrity chef to this popular event on September 6-7, 2013 on the Mendocino Coast. The 29th Annual Winesong will offer “An Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Celebration” hosted by the Little River Inn on Friday, September 6. On Saturday, September 7, guests stroll through Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens enjoying an array of wine and food from 100 highly acclaimed wineries and 50 top Northern California restaurants. The celebration continues with the Live and Silent Charity Auctions. Ogden will prepare the Live Auction Lunch. Bay Area celebrity Narsai David will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The mission of Winesong is to assist the small rural Mendocino Hopsital which supplies care to residents and visitors to the Mendocino Coast. Visit www.winesong.org or tickets.

Pinot, Pigs & Poets. An annual charity event held June 6-7, 2013, in Omaha, Nebraska, that supports Completely KIDS’ after school and weekend food programs at area schools and shelters in Omaha and Council Bluffs. There is a Grand Tasting on June 6 with some of Omaha’s best chefs preparing food paired with Pinot Noir wines, a Vintner Competition for best wine, the Taste of Elegance Chef Competition, and performances by poets from the Nebraska Writers Collective. Participating wineries include Archery Summit, Benovia, Big Table Farm, Donum, Joseph Phelps Freestone, Morgan, Penner-Ash, Scherrer, Small Vines, Twomey and Williams Selyem. For information and tickets visit www.pinotandpigs.org.

Passport to Pinot The Russian River Valley Winegrowers present the 2nd Annual “Passport to Pinot” barrel tasting weekend on June 8-9, 2013. More than 30 participating wineries including Davis Family Vineyards, Dutton-Goldfield Winery, Emeritus Vineyards, John Tyler Wines, Joseph Swan Vineyards, La Crema, Martin Ray Winery, and Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards. The event includes barrel tastings, library tastings, food pairings, artists demonstrations, and futures purchases. On Friday night there will be a showing of “From Obscurity to Excellence: The Story of Grapes and Wine in the Russian River Valley,” a documentary by Joe Nugent, at Vintners Inn. For tickets and information, visit www.rrvw.org.

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival This 16th annual festival will be held May 17-19, 2013, in the Anderson Valley. Events include a Pinot Noir Technical Conference on Friday, May 17, (I will be speaking on faux clone 828), a Friday night BBQ at Scharffenberger Cellars, the Grand Tasting under the tent at Goldeneye on Saturday, May 18, Winemaker dinners Saturday night, and Winery Open Houses on Sunday, May 19. This event always sells out. Visit www.avwines.com for tickets.

Ponzi Vineyards New Tasting Room A new, modern tasting room is set to open in Sherwood on Chehalem Mountain adjacent the Ponzi winery. Scheduled to open in June, the tasting room will have a lounge with wine service, a small plates menu, a fireplace, and views of the surrounding vineyards and countryside.

Remains of Gallo-Roman Vineyard Discovered in Gevrey-Chambertain Science Daily (March 16, 2013) reported that excavations by the Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives (INRAP) found 316 rectangular hollow pits aligned in 26 rows, interpreted as the remains of a vineyard from the 1st century AD. The alignment and shape of the pits match those found at other sites of Gallo-Roman vineyards discovered in both southern France, the region around Paris and in the UK. These pits in Gevrey- Chambertain are the first signs of Gallo-Roman vineyards discovered in Burgundy.

Oregon Still Means Pinot Noir Oregon, or as I like to say, “Noiregon,” held its Oregon Wine Industry Symposium in Portland on February 19, 2013. According to Wines & Vines (April 2013), Southern Oregon University professor Greg Jones reported a recap of Oregon’s vineyard acreage indicating that more than 61% of Oregon vineyards are planted to Pinot Noir. Christian Miller of Full Glass Research said, “Oregon still equals Pinot Noir.”

Insulting Wine Brands Still Attract Women Buyers In the latest Wines & Vines (April 2013), the top 20 new table wine brands indicated that those that target women are big sellers. Skinnygirl from California is by far the top new seller at $4,755,489 in 2012, but others in the top 20 include Fancy Pants, Thorny Rose, Wine Sisterhood, Flirt, Ooh La La, Butterfly Kiss, and Flame Lily. Can cheap table wines targeting men be far behind? How about Ripped, Six Pack, Wine Brotherhood, Sharp Dressed Man, Stud, and Mover.

Article on California’s Fort Ross-Seaview AVA An excellent article appeared in the Wine Enthusiast (April 2013) written by Steve Heimoff. The history of the region, an excellent map showing vineyard locations, vignettes of major producers from this one-year-old AVA, and a review of wines from the AVA are included.

Oregon Senate Approves Wine Growler Bill Oregon now allows wine to be sold in refillable “growlers,” much like brewpubs sell beer. Consumers can fill up the reusable bottles with wine from airtight kegs at restaurants and retailers. Each keg saves about 39 bottles.

Estimating BAC The Century Council, a national, independent not-for-profit organization funded by distillers, launched an interactive online program, “B4Udrink,” which offers the science to estimate an individual’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The new and revised algorithm for B4Udrink now includes the effects of height and age on an individual’s BAC, in combination with gender, weight, and type and number of alcoholic drinks consumed. The B4Udrink “Virtual Bar” also illustrates the effect food can have on an individual’s BAC, including how a meal high in fat has little effect on one’s BAC, yet a meal high in carbohydrates or protein may decrease an individual’s BAC. The new program is also mobile-friendly. The B4Udrink “Virtual Bar” gives people the ability to virtually explore different scenarios regarding how they might think their night will go, discover their drinking limits and plan accordingly. This information allows individuals to make educated, responsible decisions when going out socially. For more information about the B4Udrink program or to access the “Virtual Bar,” visit www.B4Udrink.org.

Bill To Allow Alcohol References on Oregon’s License Plates Two years ago, Oregon’s legislature approved a specialized plate celebrating the state’s wine culture. The plate pictures grapevines and has been popular. House Bill 3471, would allow alcohol references on wine country vanity plates like GR8 PNO, FYN WYN and PNOGEK. Stay tuned.

Interview with Jeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac An entertaining interview of Jeremy Seysses, co-proprietor of Burgundy’s Domaine Dujac in Morey-Saint-Denis. Tyler Colman caught up with Seysses at the recent La Paulée New York. Posted at www.wine-searcher.com/m/2013/04/q-and-a-jeremyseysses- domaine-dujac.

Wine Information Search Engine Search 26 million pages and 41 million sites of trustworthy wine information at www.ablegrape.com. This is not a site to shop for wine, but a site for learning and research. With filters to help you discover things faster, I have found this an invaluable search engine to find authoritative and up-to-date online wine, enology and viticulture information.

Tune in to Grape Radio for a Good Time There have been a number of very entertaining podcasts on Pinot Noir posted on Grape Radio recently and they can be heard now or downloaded to your iPod for listening in the car. Check out the following programs at www.graperadio.com.

Show #320 A Walk Through Burgundy, Allen Meadows at the 2012 International Pinot Noir Celebration
Show #318 In Pursuit of Balance, Los Angeles, 2013
Show #316 2012 World of Pinot Noir - It’s the People
Show #315 2012 World of Pinot Noir - Natural Winemaking
Show #314 2012 World of Pinot Noir - Technique versus Terroir - The Cube Project
Show #313 2012 Pinot Days San Francisco Producer Interviews Part 2
Show #312 2012 Pinot Days San Francisco Producer Interviews Part 1

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Composing the PinotFile

Anyone out there guess how much time it takes to compose each issue of the PinotFile? 8 hours, 16 hours, 32 hours. Wrong!! How about 45 hours minimum ($1.29 an hour). Hey, what gives, this is a full-time job and I am supposed to be retired.

Step 1: Taste many wines, including both marginal examples of Pinot Noir and incredible Pinot Noir.
Step 2: Re-taste bottles that appeared to be off or bad.
Step 3: Track down information on the wines when submissions have no accompanying wine information.
Step 4: Research information that make articles on Pinot Noir relevant. Thank God for the internet.
Step 5: Fend off the attacks from my wife that I am spending too much time on the computer.
Step 6: Track down worthwhile images to “color” the issue.
Step 7: Fend off the attacks from my wife that I am spending too much time on the computer.
Step 8: Peruse the internet, publications, emails and more for the latest Pinot events, happenings and news about Pinot Noir for the Pinot Briefs feature.
Step 9: Compose the PinotFile
Step 10: Edit the PinotFile at least twice.
Step 11: Send the PinotFile to my son, Dane, for posting on the website. He has a life, so I have to appease him as well.
Step 12: Re-edit the PinotFile after it is posted for my viewing only.
Step 13: Send out notification to subscribers that the latest issue is posted online.
Step 14: Weed out those who unsubscribe or are undeliverable.
Step 15: Respond to those who are nice enough to comment about the latest issue.
Step 16: Take my wife out to dinner to appease her about my spending too much time on the computer.
Step 17: Dream of features and themes for the next issue.
Step 18: Gather wines from submissions and retail sources and review them for featured tastings in the next issue.
Step 19: Get down on my knees and give homage to my humble privilege to be able to taste the best Pinot Noir that California and Oregon has to offer.
Step 20: Resume appeasing my wife for spending too much time on the computer.