Any insight or tasting notes on the 2014s being released this week?
CHARLES HEINTZ VINEYARD CHARDONNAY / SONOMA COAST
Green chartreuse. A wine of pure grace. Lemon curd, white narcissus flowers and pastry emerge on the nose. Deceptively medium bodied with impressive length, energy and focus. In the mouth, palate is framed by glacial water texture with notes of marzipan and rock salt. Think medium bodied Sonoma Coast Chardonnay charged with acidity and precision.
From 35+ year old organically farmed vines. Soils here are Goldridge sandy loam with high concentration of silica. Our section of Heintz sits on a west facing ridge just outside of the town of Occidental and enjoys the daily effects of the coastal fog bank. Mid day sunshine coupled with cool air from recent fog presence allows the grapes to ripen in the perfect climate. We typically harvest Heintz around the same time as the old vine Chardonnay at Porter-Bass.
ELLIOTT VINEYARD PINOT NOIR / SONOMA COASTDeep, bright red. Wonderfully pure, perfumed scents and flavors of rose petal, raspberry coulis, five spice, wild herbs and earth accented by bay laurel nuance. Pristine and penetrating, with great inner-palate energy. A real essence of Pinot Noir with magical fruit intensity. Noble tannins arrive late, adding grip to the rising finish. Explosive West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Best bottling to date.
The Elliott Vineyard is located on a small knoll at the end of Bohan Dillon Road sharing a fence line with the Hirsch Vineyard. The vineyard was planted in 1980 by Gard and Lori (Elliott) Hellenthal with the assistance of friend and neighbor David Hirsch. Small Mt Eden clusters allow us to utilize 50% whole cluster. Soils have higher proportion of fractured shale and quartz than nearby vineyards. Meager soils and 35 years of dry farming have driven roots deep into the bedrock. This is the West Sonoma Coast at its best.
PORTER-BASS VINEYARD PINOT NOIR / SONOMA COASTBright, dark red. Aromas of black raspberry, red currant, smoky minerality and underbrush; you can smell the sweetness and concentration of tiny berries. Very pure and penetrating on the palate, offering an exhilarating balance between sweetness and vibrant acidity. A real blast of crushed red berries and cherry in the glass, enlivened by accents of pepper and spice from stem inclusion. Less brawny than previous vintages but the wine possess serious tannic clout to support graceful evolution in bottle.
Porter-Bass Vineyard sits on a saddle ridge on Mays Canyon Road just outside the town of Guerneville. Surrounded by ancient redwoods, the Pocket Canyon draws in the influences of the Pacific. Nighttime temperatures here are typically lower than some of our other sites. Harvested from two distinctly different blocks – one block being sandstone (south facing) and the other shale (north facing). One block provides the fruit and is fermented with less whole cluster, the other provides the aromatics and spicy aromas and is fermented 100% whole cluster.
“COSTALINA” PINOT NOIR / SONOMA COASTBright, dark red. Shows terrific complexity with incredibly rich, deep flavors of raspberry, cinnamon and freshly cut flowers complimented by a hint of crushed rocks. Intense, saline notes and sweet floral and spice overtones from the 35% whole clusters add attractive lift. Crystalline purity and total sense of harmony. Extraordinarily seamless texture and outstanding fullness in the mouth. Its early fruit sweetness will make this drinkable earlier than our vineyard designated wines but it will also live for long time in your cellar.
Comprised of barrel selections from Hellenthal, Elliott and Porter-Bass along with the Occidental Road Vineyard. Soil profiles vary from sandstone, shale and mudstone. The wine showcases all of the vineyards we farm along the entire Sonoma Coast.