I took a trip yesterday for the third time the last month out to Freestone. Best known as Phelps’ other tasting room, and a great bakery, “Wildflour Bread”, this is an up and coming area for Burgundian varietals.
It is often called “Occidental-Freestone”, but that really is a poor choice, for it is far cooler than what is usually thought of as Occidental pinot growing land. First, vineyards in Occidental are often 500-1000 feet in elevation and another mile inward from Freestone. Although cool, Occidental is more like a slightly cooler version of Green Valley. Freestone is very, very cool. I even wonder if this is where sparkling wine should be made from. It takes 25 minutes to get there from Westside Road and almost 2 hours from Napa.
It was 81F in Russian River yesterday, 76F in Green Valley near Littorai, 75 in Occidental and… 67F in Freestone. Fourteen degrees lower in Freestone than the RRV. Other things that make Freestone unique is that the vineyards are mostly 300-800 feet in altitude and in the morning fog, lessening the solar radiation all year long. Hang time often exceeds 120-130 days, up to a month longer than Burgundy and yet alcohols almost never get past 14% and struggled to reach 13% in 2011. Acid readings of 7.5 are common, even if pH can touch 3.7 in warm years like 2012. Freestone, although 5 miles from the ocean, has cooler vineyards that Fort Ross-Seaview, which is only two miles from the ocean. The only place that can rival the coolness of this area to me is Annapolis, out where Peay is. And they also rarely hit 14%.
Freestone is also gorgeous, although it is tiny and few live there. Pinot from this region that may ring a bell to some include Phelps Freestone “Quarter Moon” and “Pastorale”, “Platt Vineyard” used by Littorai, Radio-Coteau, Ramey and Red Car, “Freestone Station/Freestone Hill” used by Capiaux, Patz & Hall, Chasseur and Dutton-Goldfield. Also, the new label by Kistler named “Occidental Cellars” comes 100% from Freestone, in vineyards just a few hundred yards from Platt. Tonnage runs 1-3 tons per acre, which is brutal financially because often the grapes grow at 15-30 degree angles and are very hard to farm.
Having tasted several of these Pinots over the last 3-4 years, I find them fascinating. They are cranberry-driven, with notes of clove, spices and also a saline aroma. They have the color and density of a Merlot, unlike the translucent nature of most true Sonoma Coast wines. Flavors are often packed-in on themselves and often the Pinots taste better with a 24 hour decant, something I rarely find in California Pinots.
I am really surprised at the high scores these wines get from critics, as they do not carry the voluptuous and fruit-forward flavors of anything like the Russian River. I find these wines struggle in blind-tastings against RRV wines. Yet, I wonder if Freestone Pinots might be very long-agers. I guess we will find out over the next decade or two, but my guess is “yes.” Low alcohol naturally, even if you pick in October, high acid, not fruit-driven, tannic. This is an area to keep an eye out for.