2008 Morning Dew Ranch - an increasingly rare CA Pinot epiphany

[Chris_Seiber]

John, why was this an “increasingly rare CA pinot epiphany?” It seems like there are more and more good producers making California pinot in this general style than there were, say, ten years ago.

Not an attack, just wondering what you meant by putting those words in the subject line.

[John_Ammons]

Chris,

Maybe I’m just jaded. CA pinots don’t turn my head nearly as often as they once did. This was just had me sit upright and take notice.

[Mel_Knox]

John,

You should be exploring the Anderson Valley.


M

[Kenny_H]

@Mel Knox

John,

You should be exploring the Anderson Valley.


M

This.

[John_Ammons]

Well, Littorai One Acre is my all time favorite CA pinot, and I’ve had some wonderful pinots from Ferrington and Cherise to name a couple others that I’ve greatly enjoyed, but point well taken.

[Blake_Brown]

@Mel Knox

John,

You should be exploring the Anderson Valley.


M

I definitely agree. I`ve attended the last 3 Anderson Valley Pinor Noir Festivals and they have been really good. This is a great time to explore this AVA since it is still relatively intimate. There are MANY quality and creative producers making many different types of wines outside of Pinot Noir as well.

[Howard_Horwitz]

@Blake Brown

The 09 is amazing and it is a major deviation from the fruit profile of Burts wines from 97` and earlier. It is a big boy loaded with black cherry and lots more and promises to age for many years, drinking really good early on and improving as it matures.

Thanks, Blake. Has Burt provided any insight as to why the fruit profile of his '09 is so different than his W-S wines?

[Blake_Brown]

@Howard Horwitz

@Blake Brown

The 09 is amazing and it is a major deviation from the fruit profile of Burts wines from 97` and earlier. It is a big boy loaded with black cherry and lots more and promises to age for many years, drinking really good early on and improving as it matures.

Thanks, Blake. Has Burt provided any insight as to why the fruit profile of his '09 is so different than his W-S wines?

Its all about the vineyard. His MDR vineyard is so much different from those he accessed previously from about every aspect including elevation, clonal selections, soil type, day/night temperature variations and on and on. He continued to do the least of hands on and the most of allowing the vineyard express its treasures. The 09 basically made itself. Its still a lower alcohol, highly acidic wine but not to a fault and although drinking so well out of the gate, its got so much backbone and complexity, it promises to shine for a long time during it`s journey toward maturity which IMO is a decade or 2 out.

[Mike_Grammer]

I knew it rang a bell—from my November East Coast trip, a recent version of the Drew expression. This was on a night of AV pinots

"2012 Drew Morning Dew Pinot Noir

Coffee, pepper and raspberry for me. Not bad, understandably young, but it has some useful parts."

For references’ sake, the winners on that night for me were an 09 Littorai Roman and a 04 Copain Hacienda

A bientot,

Mike

[Blake_Brown]

And heres my notes on the 13 Drew MDR Pinot:

2013 DREW FAMILY CELLARS MORNING DEW RANCH PINOT NOIR- recently released; 50% from the Rochioli clone and 50% from the 828 selection La Tache; this vineyard was first sourced by this winery in 09 and every bottling has shined each year since; tasted immediately after the 2012 from Williams Selyem at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, Im was most impressed with how this vintage is showing with its beautiful fruit forwardness early on; it is so much more approachable than the 12 from WS at this stage and really is quite attractive; red cherry, cranberry, black raspberry and cherry highlight the tastiness and are embellished by a hit of spice and cardamom; bright acidity; great pinot; 13.3% abv.