Don's Gillette's Wine Blog
Musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Read Don's full bio...
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Pinot Noir: Regional Character as the Winemaker's Canvas...part two
One could summarize Anderson Valley Pinots by noting that they resemble each other more than they do Pinots from anywhere else. They are not easily identifiable for a distinctive mineral strain, or dramatic fruit-forwardness or alcoholic richness, etc. Although this is a young appellation with many untapped resources, it is producing fine and distinctive Pinots. Those bottlings have numerous traits in common and similar virtues.
I rarely encounter bright, perky young AV Pinots, and nearly all AV Pinots swing toward a darker fruit orientation as they age. With these wines, dark Bing cherry or blackberry are more common descriptors than raspberry or red plum. The wines are almost always well-balanced, yet seem to hide their zest under the cloak of a darker personality.
The synergy of AV fruit and oak barrel aging contributes to that personality, as the combination seems to produce a regionally distinctive veneer of rich mocha, toasty vanilla or bouillon. The mix of dark berry-cherry fruit and sweet-savory oak acts to suppress the impact of mineral, fruit acid and other characteristics that may be more obvious in wines from other appellations.
The best examples of AV Pinot seem darkly rich, complex and satisfying. They are more-likely wines for a big beef roast, than grilled salmon. Fine examples, some of which are produced by wineries outside the area, include the best bottlings from Goldeneye, Breggo, Londer, Roessler and Black Kite.
The Sonoma Coast is a successful but peculiar appellation. It is strange enough that many of the best winemakers using SC fruit seem irritated by its very existence. It is huge, stretching along the coast from the Mendocino border in the north, all the way down to the Marin border in the south and then swinging away from the sea entirely at the bottom.
Its shape was obviously gerrymandered. Yet in terms of temperature and the quality of the land it encompasses, it works. To add further confusion, wines made in parts the Russian River and several other areas can be called Sonoma Coast, although the reverse is not true. Also a recent expansion of the RRV has swallowed-up some prominent SCC properties, which may now legally use either name.
There are three distinct SC areas to consider here. The vineyards in the northern end often sit atop mountain ridges, some of these are not far from the town on Annapolis. They are above the fog line and exposed to harsh winds, lightning and the like. The wines produced here are often darkly intense, mineral-laced and muscular: yet they are focused, classy and clearly age-worthy. Watch out for Peay and Hirsch bottlings and wines the new Emeritus plantings.
Many of the more southerly SC vineyards are near-to and resemble the Pinots of the Russian River. Unlike their higher elevation northern siblings, these properties sit on fog-drenched hillsides. Like wines of the RRV, they see a gentler side of Mother Nature, with morning fog lifting to bring bright sunshine in the afternoon. The wines speak of this harmony.
Those wines are predominantly red fruit oriented, with red raspberry, red cherry, red currant, red plum and red licorice all common descriptors. Spice notes of white and pink peppercorn or sumac are also typical, along with yellow or red rose petal. There is a more well-defined mineral strain here than in the RRV and the fruit-oak mix often produces distinctive roasted grain aromas and flavors.
Many of these south-coast Pinots (especially those adjacent to the RRV) are wonderfully feminine, yet have impressive backbone. Inexpensive versions, of which there are few, seldom display the perkiness that bargain RRVs do. Well-made versions are typically balanced, classy dinner wines with good structure: fine companions to duck breast or prime rib. Great examples include wines from Williams-Selyem, Chasseur, Dutton-Goldfield and others. The great "Freestone" bottlings made at Chasseur and Dutton-Goldfield were part of the recent RRV expansion.
The Petaluma Gap is located south of the RRV and runs eastward from the ocean, carrying coastal winds with it. The influence of that climate defines the wines of Kastania, Keller and other producers in this area. Things are generally firmer, but a bit blockier, and the fruit may be tannic-citric or be darker and softer. There are no clear patterns yet.
Next week: The RRV and the road south