TN: Some Calif Pinots/Mostly Drew...(long/boring)

We tasted tonight (8/7/19) some More PinotNoirs:

1. Siduri PinotNoir HirschVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.1%) 2009: Med.color w/ some browning; light earthy bit cherry/
   black cherry/PN light Siduri oak bit tired nose; fairly tart/tangy light cherry/PN bit metallic/tangy
   rather tired flavor w/ light astringent/dried out tannins; pretty much dead & gone. $40.50

2. Siduri PinotNoir HirschVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.1%) 2010: Med.color w/ light bricking; stronger black cherry/
   PN some pencilly/Siduri oak bit complex nose; fairly tart/tangy/metallic rather tired/dried-out light
   earthy/black cherry/PN some Siduri/pencilly/oak flavor w/ light dried-out/astringent tannins; bit more
   interesting nose but pretty tired on the palate; dead & gone. $39.50

3. Boheme PinotNoir EnglishHillVnyd/SebastopolHills/SonomaCoast (13.7%; Y=1.22 tons/acre; Clones: Dijon
   115&667/Vosne-Romanee/Calera; 22 mo. in 15% new Fr.oak; www.BohemeWines.com) KurtBeitler/Occidental
   2015: Med.dark color; strong fragrant cherry/black cherry/PN/bit spicy some pencilly/toasty/Fr.oak
   high-toned quite lovely nose; lightly tart bright/perfumed cherry/PN/spicy light pencilly/toasty/Fr.oak
   bit metallic flavor w/ modest bitey tannins; very long/lingering bright/cherry/PN/spicy finish w/ light
   brisk tannins; lots of bright cherry/PN/high-toned fruit; can use another 2-4 yrs; quite a pretty PN.
   $43.50

4. Boheme PinotNoir StullerVnyd/SonomaCoast (13.5%; Clones: Dijon 115 & 667; Y=0.41 tons/acre; 22 mo. in 17%
   new Fr.oak) 2015: Dark color; more earthy/dusty deeper less fragrant some black cherry/PN bit closed more
   bass-notes light pencilly/oak bit complex nose; fairly tart/tangy/metallic some black cherry/licorice/PN
   bit earthy/dusty some toasty/oak flavor w/ modest chewey tannins; very long deep black cherry/PN/licorice
   bit earthy/dusty finish w/ some chewey tannins; not as perfumed & fragrant w/ more depth & bass notes;
   bigger & richer but seems a bit closed now; bit more earthier & Burgundian; needs more age. $43.50

5. Boheme PinotNoir TaylorRidgeVnyd/SonomaCoast (13.7%; Y=0.65 tons/acre; 22 mo. in 15% new Fr.oak) 2015:
   Dark color; strong black cherry/PN/cherry/spicy light pencilly/Fr.oak bit complex nose; quite tart/tangy/
   bit metallic light pencilly/oak/bit licorice bit complex flavor w/ modest brisk tannins; very long/lingering
   black cherry/cherry/PN/spicy light pencilly/oak finish w/ modest tannins; needs 3-5 yrs of age yet;
   shows more of the perfume of the EnglishHill; quite a lovely PN. $43.50

6. WindGap PinotNoir SonomaCoast/SonomaCnty (12.4%; stem inclusion/concrete frmtn; 68 brls/22500 cs)
   2015: Med.dark color; some dusty/earthy some blackcherry/PN/spicy distinct w-c/peppery rather complex nose;
   fairly tart/tangy strong w-c/peppery strong black cherry/PN/spicy rather earthy/dusty some complex flavor w/
   ample tangy tannins; very long rather earthy/dusty some black cherry/PN/spicy strong w-c/peppery finish;
   not that much fruit & dominated by the w-c character; quite an interesting rendition of PN. $36.00

6a. WindGap PinotNoir WoodruffVnyd/SantaCruzMtns (12 3/4 %; 7 brls/168 cs; #0604) 2013: Med.color; slight
earthy/dusty some w-c/peppery/bit stemmy some black pepper/PN/black cherry/spicy light toasty/oak some complex
nose; somewhat tart/tangy light w-c/peppery/stemmy/earthy/dusty light black cherry/PN/spicy flavor w/ modest
tangy tannins; very long some black cherry/PN/earthy strong w-c/peppery/stemmy light toasty/oak bit complex
finish w/ some tannins; a bit more black cherry/PN fruit but still dominated by the w-c character;
another interesting PN.

7. Drew PinotNoir EstateFieldSlctns MendoRidge/MendoCnty (13.3%; InaguralRelease) 2014: Very dark color; very
   strong black cherry/licorice/PN some toasty/oak light w-c/peppery bit complex nose; lightly tart/tangy strong
   black cherry/PN/bit licorice/spicy some toasty/oak some w-c/peppery fairly rich/lush structured flavor w/
   ample rich/ripe tannins; very long/lingering quite tart very strong black cherry/PN/licorice structured
   some toasty/oak finish w/ ample tannins; a lovely rather structured PN that should go out another 8-10 yrs.
   $60.00

8. Drew PinotNoir Estate/TheGulch MendoRidge (13.3%; 33% whole cluster; Drk: 2018-2030) Elk 2014: Very dark color;
   much the same nose but a bit more fragrant PN/fruit/cherry quite lovely some complex nose; quite tart/tangy
   stronger black cherry/PN some w-c/peppery/DrPepper/RCCola quite structured bit more complex flavor w/ ample
   ripe tannins; very long/lingering quite tart some toasty/oak some w-c/peppery bit more complex structured
   finish w/ ample tannins; much like #7 but a bit more complex, more bright fruit, bit more depth; a beautiful
   structured Pinot w/ yrs to go. $51.00

9. Drew PinotNoir EstateFieldSlctns/MendoRidge (13.8%; 40% w-c; 35% new Fr.oak; Clones:
   Pommard/943/115/Swan/667/MtEden/Calera; Drk: 2019-2028: JD) 2015: Very dark color; very strong black cherry/
   blackberry/PN/very spcy/bit peppery some pencilly/smokey/oak bit RCCola some w-c/peppery some complex nose;
   rather tart/tangy strong black cherry/PN/very spicy some RCCola some pencilly/oak bit complex flavor w/
   ample tangy tannins; very long/lingering rather tart some pencilly/oak very strong black cherry/PN/very spicy
   some complex finish w/ ample tannins; another very structured PN w/ lots of spiciness and good complexity;
   has yrs to go. $60.00

10. Drew PinotNoir Estate Field Slctns/MendoRidge (13%; 20% new Fr.oak; 40% whole-cluster; Drk: 2020-2033: JD)
    2016: Very dark color; very strong black cherry/PN/spicy light pencilly/oak/smokey bit more pungent/licorice
    bit simpler beautiful fragrant nose; fairly tart strong black cherry/PN bit w-c/peppery fairly structured
    some pencilly/oak flavor w/ some chewey tannins; very long strong black cherry/PN some pencilly/oak finish
    w/ ample chewey tannins; a bit simpler than #11 but still a bracing structured Pinot w/ yrs ahead of it.
    $60.00

11. Drew PinotNoir Estate Mid-Slope MendoRidge (13%; certified organic; Yield: 1 ton/acre; 18 mo. in 1/2/3
    yr old seasoned Fr.oak; Calera/Swan/Dijon 943 clones; Drk: 2019-2030: JD) Elk 2016: Very dark color; more
    fragrant/perfumey very strong black cherry/black cherry cola more bright cherry/AndersonVlly-like slight
    pungent/welding shop/reductive more charred/oak more complex very fragrant beautiful nose; bit tarter/tangier
    more charred/oak very strong black cherry/black cherry/cola/bright cherry quite structured rather complex
    flavor w/ modest chewey tannins; very long/lingering very strong black cherry/cherry/black cherry cola some
    toasty/charred/oak structured complex finish w/ some firm tannins; a bit more fragrant w/ bright cherry fruit
    than #10 & a bit more complexity; anothe beautiful structured PN w/ yrs to go. $59.50

12. Drew PinotNoir EstateFieldSlctns/MondocinoRidge (13.5%) 2017: Dark color; strong black cherry/PN light
    w-c/peppery light pencilly/oak/toasty bit tight/closed nose; rather tart/tangy/bit metallic strong
    black cherry/PN light toasty/oak some w-c/peppery bit closed flavor w/ ample tangy tannins; very long strong
    black cherry/PN/bit spicy some w-c/peppery some toasty/oak rather structured finish w/ ample tannins;
    not the perfume & fragrance of the previous ones and seems a bit tight/closed right now & needs more age;
    will be a good one in a few yrs and should go out 10 yrs. $51.00

More pritzadle from TheBloodyPulpit:

1. Boheme: This is the wnry of KurtBeitler, nephew of the Wagner/Caymus family. His tasting room is in the
   heart of downtown metropolitan Occidental. Specializes in SonomaCoast Pinot/Chard/Syrah plus a bit of Zin.
   Followed him from the very start, I did. Back when he was making only QueSyrah Syrah. Coinsistently one
   of my favorite producers.
   These wines pretty much were true to form. The EnglishHill, a bit warmer to the SE of Freestone, typically
   is a bit lighter and more perfumed. The Stuller, to the west of Occidental, is generally a bigger/deeper PN
   and needs more age. The TaylorRidge, farmed by VinceRago, usually falls somewhare in the middle. Stylistically,
   the wines are very similar and I typically prefer the TaylorRidge, but only slightly.

2. WindGap: These were made when PaxMahle was still at WindGap. They were both very unusual renditions of PN.
   They were both dominated by the w-c character and I would have liked a bit more PN fruit.

3. Drew: When Molly & Jason moved to the AndersonVlly from SantaBarbara in 2000, their style changed dramatically
   and the focus became on crafting cool-climate wines from the AndersonVlly and MendoRidge. The purchased an old
   apple orchard just east of the town of Elk up on MendoRidge. After building their wnry in 2004, they finally
   planted the property to PinotNoir. They often make two different Pinots from their Estate. With their first
   Estate Pinot in 2014; this should be a pretty complete tasting of all their Estate Pinots thus far.
   I’ve always liked Jason’s Pinots, mostly from AndersonVlly fruit, from when he first moved up there. Even
   though he’s one of the darlings of the IPoB crowd, I’ve never thought really a part of that style of Pinot. Even
   though the alcohols are relatively modest by some Pinot standards, I’ve always felt they were packed w/ flavor.
   Of these DrewEstate Pinots, the #9 and the #11 were probably my favorite, but only by a slight margin.
   This was my first extensive tasting of the DrewEstate Pinots, only having 1 or 2 of them when they’ve come
   in on my club shipment. To say the least, I was mightly impressed with this set of Pinots. They have a depth &
   structure & intensity of fruit not often found in Calif Pinots. I would assert that this vnyd is of the stature
   of other Calif cold-climate Pinot vnyds I particularly like…Hirsch and Failla and Swan, maybe Flowers and
   Pisoni, some from the SantaRitaHills. As this vnyd matures & gets older; the Pinots are only going to become
   more impressive I think.

Tom

I have some ‘08 and ‘09 Siduri hidden in my ultra-long term experiment box…you’ve got me wondering if I should rescue them?
*they’re Rosella’s for what it’s worth-

Well, Craig…I’ve always regarded Adam’s Hirsch as one of his best Pinots.
I guess I wouldn’t dwaddle on those.
Tom

Thanks for the notes Tom. I’ve really liked these wines over the years, and really enjoy the Valenti from Drew (both PN and Syrah).

I had the pleasure of a 2011 Morning Dew a couple months ago and it was just phenomenal. A ton of depth and concentration in a “tough” vintage. So my experience matches yours in assuming these get much more interesting with time.

Yeah, Dan…I’m a particular fan of Jason’s Syrahs. And his (rare) Albarino and Viognier are some of
the best in Calif.
Tom

I’ve liked the Drew wines a lot over the years, and their “Sur La Mer” cider is very good too - made from apples grown at their place out near Elk from their old orchard.

Fwiw, our blind tasting group does 10 year PN retrospectives and tends to rate Siduri at or near the top. Don’t recall if I’ve had these specifically. Some CT notes say the '09 is past peak. YMMV. Definitely check in on them. I’d be expecting them to be at peak, and doubting they had anywhere to improve.

Curious. He’s been getting Woodruff fruit since '08. Definitely no a vineyard I’d want to go wc on, it’s so beautiful and not lacking in anything. Doesn’t make sense to me… Well, looking at some info it looks like he’s always picked it too early, before it gets a chance to develop into showing what makes it, perhaps, the best vineyard in Corralitos.

Very glad to see Drew favorably reviewed here. It’s one of the few lists that we stayed with, and can’t imagine dropping. The VDs are all distinctive, but the estate vineyard in particular is a gem, as noted, carved out from/ still adjacent to and old apple orchard atop a ridge only 4+ miles from Elk and the salty & sweet Pacific. What a promising site — and we too look forward to the vineyard’s maturation/ evolution. (And yes, the Syrahs are excellent, too.)

So, Drew pinots are low alcohol but packed with flavor? You mean, like red Burgundy?

Maybe. See my bold part of the note on the Valenti. Thanks for taking time to post all those, Tom. Absolutely adored the 15 Drew Valenti PN. My notes from last year’s visit–my first–to the winery:

"DREW FAMILY

Jason made wine for Corison and Phelps before opening the winery in 2004. I have tasted very few, if any of his wines before now but know the reputation. About 2500 cases.

2017 Drew Family Suitcase Rose

A little Grenache and mourvedre, mostly PN. Done Provencal style. Light overlay of nutmeg over tight red fruit. Quite tasty, a little extra heft from the other grapes.

2015 Drew Family Fog-Eater PN

A Boonville term for coast-dwellers. This comes from a couple vineyards and is all done in neutral oak. Displays a little red pepper and violets over cranberry with palate replays

2015 Drew Family Valenti PN

He manages the vineyard. Light pomegranate and berry sniffs—it’s all lifted and airy. Super-pretty on the tongue, the ephemeral quality that Burgundy gets to, with small, precise berry. This has deceiving length and the acid is perfectly matched. Littorai-for-less? There’s not much separating them to be honest. 1 bottle bought and everyone who tried it on the trip was very happy.

2015 Drew Family Perli Syrah

100% whole cluster, he does co-ferment with Viognier. 12 months in French puncheons. 13.9% and 30% whole cluster. Dark cocoa nuzzie, hint of unripe blackberry and also some blueberry. In the mouth, a certain tobacco and tomato leaf quality here. Great acidity, nervy and has the tart red fruit to soak it up. This will last a long time.

2017 Drew Family Albarino

From the Valenti vineyard. Stainless, the vines are probably 10-12 years. very light almond and almost palm oil scents, if that makes sense. Composed, still very quiet. Sort of silvery, there’s a certainty about the wine, a nice ginger-vanilla breathe-back and a little bit of sweet soil too. An intriguing wine."

I have had the chance to sample Kurt’s wines at various FallTacular events and have always come away impressed.

Nice to see the notes on aged Siduris. I have had too little Wind Gap—hopefully will get to try more in the future.

Mike

Like $200+ Red Burgundy, anyway.

I keed, I keed.

Interesting notes as always. To me, whole cluster inclusion is tricky. If you ‘notice’ it too much, it’s no different to me than ‘noticable’ oak or alcohol. . .

Cheers.

Excellent notes, Tom. Thanks for sharing.

As you likely recall, '15 gave minuscule yields in our neighborhood - a perfect storm of dreary bloom conditions and drought winter preceding.

Clusters were sparse with mostly petite berries. We knew by June the wines would be dense. In pursuit of balance, we took the opportunity to age our Pinots on some new barrels for the first time (I recall something like 15-17%). I was impressed by the spice and rounding influence of those new bbls in the overall blends and have been using new wood judiciously since.

With the greater stem weight of the vintage, we held WC percentage to 20-30. The wines took on the herb complement and tannin topography I’ve come to love most about stems in Pinot noir. Still, the '15s gave broader texture than other recent vintages and for that I expect great longevity, esp. Stuller Vineyard with its big grip/ dark tones in even the most fruitful vintages.

Kurt,
Put in an order for a case & hlf of these.
Tom

Agreed, Larry. Like most things wine, the virtues of WC depend on the stylistic preference of the beholder. Stems can shift wines’ aroma/ flavor and texture hugely. Among others, pyrazine and tannin (polyphenol) concentrations vary by:

grape variety/ selection
hang time/ ripeness
berry size/ yield
vine health
site/ soil

It’s my opinion that, when used correctly, stems can elevate a wine from good to profound.

“We live and die by the stem.” -Philip Stice

You’ve got it, Tom. We’ll watch the weather and take good care of you.

Kurt

Tom - I have do idea what Pax was doing with these wines. I have had both of the ones you tasted and they are thin, insipid and devoid of fruit. An experiment that went horribly wrong.

Yup, Todd…I can see your take on those two Pinots. Not very characteristic of Calif Pinot and not much fruit in them.
Not sure it was an experiment that went South as much as Pax’s attempt to make an old-world style of Pinot.
I described them as “interesting”…interesting in the sense that you struggle for something good to say about them.
I would not buy them again.
Tom