I make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from West Sonoma Coast, Sebastopol and the deep end of the Anderson Valley. I also make a bit of wine from the Sierra Foothills…higher elevation vineyards with interesting/complex soils, picked early for complex & refreshing wines.
My Pinots have been described as ‘Oregon-style pinot but with more fruit’, which I think is apt, and old world in the case of my Chardonnay.
The Mixed Chardonnay 3 pack:
One bottle each:
2015, 2016 & 2017 Sonoma Coast Chardonnays
This is from a single vineyard of 40+ year old vines, on the coast between Sebastopol & Occidental. The great thing about old vines is the character, density & balance of the wine that they produce. This shows in my Chardonnay, and it’s what I credit for the multiple Michelin Star placements I’ve gotten for my Chardonnay & Pinots. The unfortunate part is the declining yields (tons of fruit per acre) as the years march on. The vineyard owner began looking at replanting, and has started in some blocks…a terrifying moment when I first heard! Fortunately, I’ve been able to pay up to retain the old vines in my block! I’m thrilled, and the vineyard owner is as well.
The pH in the bottle ranges from 3.1 to 3.25, entirely natural acid and old vine density/richness & character with excellent acidity is what makes a great chardonnay. Tasting notes include: Lemon peel, citrus, yellow (& green) apples, white peach, with saline & savory elements. Pure & focused. Intensity without weight.
The Mixed Pinot 3 pack:
One bottle each:
2014 Cuvee Abigail, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
2013 Moore Ranch, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
2014 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (the 2012 RRV Pinot is an alternate selection for the 2014)
These are some of my favorite wines in their early stage of showing well. See below for more info/detail on the vineyards behind these wines.
The Classics 3 pack:
One bottle each:
2011 Pratt Vineyard Pinot Noir
2012 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (the 2010 RRV Pinot is an alternate selection for the 2008)
I make my Pinots to age for the long haul, and these are beginning to show their stuff, with red and dark fruits, earth and other savory and nuanced qualities showing up. These are still quite youthful, and will continue to develop for another 10 years or so. The 2011 Pratt is esp brilliant, one of the top pinots I’ve made, benefiting from the cool vintage.
The Foothills Adventure Hits the Big Time:
One bottle each:
2017 Alney Sierra Foothills Tempranillo
2017 Giesler Baron Vineyard Sierra Foothills Cabernet Franc
Both are brilliant wines, picked at ~22 brix, yet flavors exactly what I was looking for, with an interesting & balanced structure. Both are high elevation vineyards, in El Dorado, with excellent soils & 25+ year old vines.
The origins of my Foothills Adventure was making Zin in 2015 (and 2016) in an old school/early picked style. There are a few notes out there on this zin…including the following comments. I think these are in line with what I’m trying to do in general with my foothills efforts, and the Cab Franc & Tempranillo offered here.
These were from: 2015 Ladd Cellars Zinfandel Avio Vineyard Sierra Foothills, USA, California, Sierra Foothills - CellarTracker
Random thoughts about above wines/vineyards/etc:
Moore Ranch, aka my RRV Pinot
Located near Sebastopol on Occidental road. Thin topsoil on top of a rocky subsoil gives a savory/earthy/mineral quality to the wines, in addition to the red and dark fruit. Because of its cool location, these wines display a Sonoma Coast character in addition to the Russian River. Moore Ranch wines have a strong terroir signature, from the soil, location and vine age of course. Clones include Pommard, Swan, 115, 114, 777 and 667, planted in 1997. The Russian River Pinot comes entirely from Moore Ranch fruit, tho the RRV and Moore Ranch bottlings come from different clones and different pick dates. The main point here is the RRV is made to be it’s own wine & and own specific character, rather than a collections of unloved (well, lesser loved ) barrels.
Nash Mill
Located not far from Burt Williams’ Morning Dew Ranch, in the deep end of Anderson valley, north west of Octopus Mountain…making this a mountain slope vineyard. The topsoil is a sandy clay loam typical to the deep end. The subsoil has large amounts of shale in it, which adds an appealing/distinctive savory quality. Tho the type of soil is common in AV, the large amount of shale isn’t, and it’s a common characteristic of most of the top AV sites.
The 2012 Anderson Valley Pinot is a mix of Pommard, 115 & 667, entirely from Nash Mill. It’s a red fruited Pinot that’s both pretty and savory at the same time. Can’t ask for anything more than that imo.
Pratt Vineyard
Located between Occidental, Sebastopol and Freestone, and is a stone’s throw from Falstaff vineyard. The Pinot clones/selections I get here include Pommard, 23, 9 and 2a. Most of the vines I get fruit from are on their own roots (rather than being grafted to a rootstock), possibly removing an element that disguises the terroir. Owned and farmed by Jim Pratt, vineyard manager to many famous vineyards! This is the backbone of my Cuvee Abigail Pinot!
Thanks for your interest!