There are lots of of wine producers in California that excel at producing wines with an artisan strategy. Crafting small a lot of wines reminiscent of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, two Burgundian varietals that at their finest are made to show not solely superb steadiness and true character that signify their specific varietal, but in addition supply a way of place, wines that reveal the id of the place the grapes are grown.
On this article, I’ll deal with three producers in northern California that brilliantly seize their particular space’s character and character concerning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Donum Property, Carneros Sonoma – The Donum property, situated within the Carneros space on the southern reaches of Sonoma County (a part of Carneros can be located in Napa Valley), is know each for its wines in addition to its art work, as 40 large-scale, open air sculptures dot its panorama.
The property is split into 5 separate plantings, with the Donum plot being an important. Whereas Chardonnay makes up 9 acres of this land, Pinot Noir is by far the dominant varietal, with 82 planted acres. There are a number of examples of Pinot Noir from right here, a few of them single-vineyard bottlings. The Pinot Noirs produced by the Donum vineyard, which incorporates choices from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, are muscular examples of this varietal, very concentrated and fairly wealthy, wines that want a number of years to spherical out and show their finest qualities.
My notes on present releases from Donum Property:
Donum Property Pinot Noir “Single Winery” 2018 (Carneros) – Vibrant younger garnet; wealthy aromas of black cherry, black raspberry and hints of bitter chocolate. Medium-full, that is fairly ripe and extracted with ample wooden notes; ripe, balanced tannins, good acidity and glorious size within the end. This grabs your consideration proper from its first fragrant options till the wine finishes on the palate. Get pleasure from now with veal dishes or duck breast. Peak in 5-6 years. (92)
Donum Property Pinot Noir “Single Winery – Three Hills” 2018 (Carneros) -Deep younger garnet; expressive aromas of bing and maraschino cherry, purple plum and carnation. Medium-full with glorious focus; wealthy however nicely built-in wooden notes, very god acidity and medium-full tannins. This can be a wealthy, fantastically structured Pinot Noir that could be very interesting now, however will supply higher complexities over the subsequent a number of years, with peak in 8-12 years. (95)
Donum Property Pinot Noir “Single Winery” 2018 (Russian River Valley) – Deep younger garnet; aromas of black cherry, plum preserves and purple iris. Medium-full with spectacular focus, wealthy tannins, well-integrated wooden notes, good acidity and superb persistence. This can be a sturdy Pinot Noir with spectacular complexity that wants just a few years to spherical out, as it’s structured for peak in 8-10 years. (92)
Theresa Heredia, winemaker, Gary Farrell Vineyard, Healdsburg
Photograph courtesy of Gary Farrell Vineyard
Gary Farrell Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County – Gary Farrell began producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from a number of of Russian River Valley’s best vineyards in 1982, and over the subsequent a number of years, he turned a dwelling legend and a little bit of a hero to lovers of those wines all through the state. His wines had been deeply concentrated and structured to age fantastically for wherever as much as a dozen years, even longer with just a few examples of Pinot Noir.
Farrell offered the vineyard a number of years in the past, however his legacy continues by means of the winemaking of Theresa Heredia, who is ready to supply fruit from a few of these similar websites, in addition to others in Russian River Valley, the close by Sonoma Coast and some different districts in California. Each the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Farrell, as crafted by Heredia, supply textbook Russian River character, and all the time have a spine of full of life acidity, and maybe most significantly, show terrific total concord.
Gary Farrell Chardonnay Olivet Lane Winery 2018 (Russian River Valley) – Vibrant yellow; aromas of lemon oil, dried peach and hints of honey and butter. Medium-full with ripe, barely lush fruit, good acidity, ample wooden notes and a posh end with good size. This can be a little bit of an old style Chardonnay with a ripe and luxurious really feel. Get pleasure from with very wealthy seafood over the subsequent 2-4 years. (90)
Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Hallberg Winery 2017 (Russian River Valley) – Wealthy younger garnet; textbook aromas of bing cherry, wild strawberry and turmeric, with a touch of black tea. Medium-full with superb depth of fruit, well-integrated wooden notes, medium-weight tannins, good acidity, and notes of black cherry and nutmeg within the end. Spectacular size and complexity; this could be superb paired with duck breast, sport birds or roast rooster. Get pleasure from over the subsequent 3-6 years. (92)
Thales Winery, Russian River Valley, supply of Pinot Noir for one the most effective wines from Macrostie … [+]
Photograph courtesy Macrostie Vineyard and Vineyards
Macrostie Winery and Vineyard, Sonoma County – Based by Steve MacRostie in 1987, this has been one of many shining stars within the Carneros Sonoma space, particularly with Chardonnay. Pinot Noir, with a lot of the fruit sourced from Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast, has turn into equally essential for the vineyard, which lately moved its location from Carneros to a state-of-the-art facility on Westside Street in Healdsburg within the Russian River Valley. Whereas Steve Macrostie was the unique winemaker, he turned these duties over to the bubbling Heidi Bridenhagen in 2013; she had served as assistant winemaker there since 2011. Her fashion is one which showcases vibrant varietal fruit with a notable sense of origin; the wines all the time show superb acidity and are elegantly styled.
Be aware that all the Macrostie Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs (in addition to all of their different wines) are bottled with screw caps, which the proprietors imagine protect the wines’ freshness and purity.
MacRostie Chardonnay Charles Heintz Winery 2019 (Inexperienced Valley of Russian River Valley) – Good mild yellow; aromas of golden apple, spiced pear and goldenrod. Medium-full, this has glorious ripeness, superb acidity, and a fragile creamy, lush really feel, all of the whereas coming throughout as very delicate on the palate. This has lovely finesse together with beautiful steadiness, and will probably be particularly interesting to Chardonnay lovers who tire of extreme wooden notes of their wines. A fabulous success that may be loved tonight with lemon sole or halibut, or put away for 3 to 5 years. (95)
MacRostie Chardonnay Dutton Ranch 2019 (Russian River Valley) – Mild yellow; aromas of guava, melon and saffron. Medium-full, that is fairly wealthy on the palate and shows extra intense wooden notes and energy than the Heintz Chardonnay. That is extra within the fashion of many California Chardonnays from the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties and must be paired with very wealthy seafood (lobster, swordfish) or meats reminiscent of roast veal. Get pleasure from over the subsequent 3-5 years. (91)
MacRostie Pinot Noir Thale’s Winery 2018 (Russian River Valley) – An property winery of MacRostie since 2013, this website was named for Steve’s spouse Thale. Stunning delicate garnet; aromas of bing cherry, pink roses and carnations, this can be a scrumptious Pinot Noir with superb acidity, spectacular varietal purity, medium-bodied tannins, properly built-in notes and a prolonged, supple end with delicate notes of black spice. Pair this with roast rooster tonight or lay away for one more 5 to seven years. (92)
MacRostie Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Winery 2018 (Sonoma Coast) – Stunning delicate garnet (nearly pink); aromas of bing and black cherry, pomegranate and chrysanthemum. Medium-full, this has ripe fruit character, superb acidity, earthy notes within the end and wealthy tannins. Give this just a few years to cool down, as it can enhance for one more 5 to seven years. If you wish to pair this with meals tonight, serve it with cornish hen. (91)
