Jeffrey Patterson and Merry Edwards
This was my single favorite Pinot Days event this year, a delightful chance to hear from four trailblazing pioneers of California Pinot Noir: Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards (and formerly of Sanford Winery); Merry Edwards of Merry Edwards Winery, who began at Mount Eden; Francis Mahoney of Mahoney Vineyards (and formerly of Carneros Creek); and Jeffrey Patterson from Mount Eden. Richard, Merry and Jeffrey recollected getting together as the “Pinot Brain Trust” decades ago to share notes on their Pinot experiments and ideas. It was a great treat to hear from all four of them, while tasting some lovely wines, including library samples from their long careers.
The '76 Carneros Creek was clearly the wine of the night, causing quite the buzz around the room – an elegant, delicious 32 year old from a now underestimated Pinot region. The Mount Edens had tremendous stylistic consistency and similar, lovely taste profiles. The Merry Edwards wines showed their power and potential for aging. The '06 Mahoney Vineyards was also very impressive. Definitely the kind of tasting that puts a big smile on one’s face.
Richard Sanford Flight
Richard Sanford
Richard and partner Michael Benedict planted the 110-acre Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills, the first in that area, in 1970. Richard told us that he realized there was something special about Pinot from that region when they made their first Pinot Noir in 1976. He started Sanford Winery in 1981. By 1993, Sanford Winey was producing 30,000 cases a year. In '97, Sanford planted a second vineyard, the 130-acre Rancho La Rinconada, adjacent to Sanford & Benedict. In 2005, Richard left Sanford to begin a new venture, Alma Rosa. Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada vineyards stayed with Sanford Winery, and Richard now owns El Jabali Ranch and La Encantada Vineyard. The Alma Rosa wines are made at Orcutt Road Cellars by winemaker Christian Roguenant.
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1991 Sanford Pinot Noir Signature Blend Sanford & Benedict - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills
Slightly cloudy, bricking, medium red orange color with pale meniscus; mushroom, tobacco and lamb jus nose; tasty, tart, mature red fruit, mushroom, tobacco, mineral palate, holding up much better than the '92; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. (blend of a barrel each from all 6 winemakers who were making Sanford & Benedict Pinots at the time, including Rick Longoria, Lane Tanner and Jim Clendenen – only made in '91 and '92) (91 pts.) -
1992 Sanford Pinot Noir Signature Blend Sanford & Benedict - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills
Bricking medium orange red color with pale meniscus; mature mushroom and tobacco nose; mature, tart dried cherry, tobacco and mineral palate, but starts to break down after 20 minutes or so in the glass; medium finish (blend of a barrel each from all 6 winemakers who were making Sanford & Benedict Pinots at the time, including Rick Longoria, Lane Tanner and Jim Clendenen – only made in '91 and '92) (89 pts.) -
2001 Sanford Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills
From magnum - bricking medium red color with pale meniscus; mature spice cake, dried cherry and herbal nose; exotic spice, dried cherry, orange spice, tart red fruit palate, reminiscent of a good aged Chianti; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.) -
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir Mt. Eden Clone El Jabali Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills
Dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; big, deep, but tight and young, berry, black raspberry, blackberry nose; solid black raspberry, berry, currant palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. (20% new French oak) (91 pts.) -
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills
Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; big cranberry, tart cherry nose; big, tight, berry, oak and boysenberry palate; medium-plus finish 90+ pts. (100 acres, planted with 6 different clones) (90 pts.)
Merry Edwards Flight
Merry Edwards
Merry told us that she made her first wine (after having become popular for her home brewed beer) from oranges and raisins. Merry Edwards found her first winemaking position after graduating UC Davis at Mount Eden in 1974. She arranged to have the “Mount Eden” clone, now known as UCD 37, certified. She left Mount Eden in 1977 and became winemaker at Matanzas Creek. She later consulted for a number of wineries, including Liparita, Lambert Bridge and Pellegrini. In '96, she bought a 24-acre parcel in the Russian River Valley and started Merry Edwards Wines. She currently releases eight Pinot Noirs and one Sauvignon Blanc.
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1975 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Bricking medium brown red color with clear meniscus and lots of light sediment; lovely, mature, tobacco, roast beef and soy sauce nose; rich, deep, tobacco, roast beef, iron and soy sauce palate; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (Merry Edwards’s 2nd vintage as Mount Eden’s winemaker) (92 pts.) -
1997 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Olivet Lane - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
From magnum - dark, slightly bricking red color with pale meniscus; intriguing dark cherry, mineral and soy sauce nose; maturing but still powerful raspberry, black cherry palate with depth and years to go; medium-plus finish (100% Martini clone) (93 pts.) -
2000 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Meredith Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
From magnum - dark, slightly bricking red color with pale orange meniscus; earthy, beef brisket, graphite, mushroom nose; mature, tart berry, cherry, deep, earthy, beefy, mineral, graphite palate; medium-plus finish (1st vintage from Meredith Estate) (92 pts.) -
2003 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Klopp Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Medium dark red color with pale meniscus; lovely roses, tart red fruit, cranberry nose; roses, tart red fruit, tart cherry, mineral palate, very youthful; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (Swan and Pommard clones) (93 pts.)
Francis Mahoney Flight
Francis Mahoney
Francis Mahoney started Carneros Creek Winery in 1972–the first new winemaking facility in Carneros since the end of Prohibition. From 1975 to 1985, with Professor Curtis Alley, Francis experimented with clonal plantings and trials. In the '80s and '90s, Mahoney planted the Mahoney Ranch and the Las Brisas Vineyard. He sold his share in Carneros Creek in 1998. In 2002, he brought on Ken Foster as winemaker for Mahoney Vineyards. Mahoney owns 162 acres in Carneros (149 of which are planted to Pinot Noir), supplying Carneros Creek, Mahoney Vineyards and others. Mahoney Vineyards currently releases four Pinot Noirs.
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1976 Carneros Creek Winery Pinot Noir - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
Bricking medium red orange color with lots of sediment; mature, earthy mushroom, tobacco nose; lovely, delicious, mature, tart cherry, dried cherry, orange spice, tobacco, mineral palate, with firm sweet tannins still; medium-plus finish (only 12.8% alcohol) (WOTT and WOTD) (96 pts.) -
1986 Carneros Creek Winery Pinot Noir Blue Label - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
From magnum - bricking medium red orange color with pale meniscus; mature, harmonious, ginger bread, shitake mushroom and herbal nose; mature, solid, shitake mushroom, spice cake, earthy tart cherry palate; medium finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.) -
1996 Carneros Creek Winery Pinot Noir Estate Grown - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
Medium orange red color, bricking, with pale meniscus; mushroom, earthy and ethereal lamb jus nose; mature, light-medium bodied, ripe cherry, spice cake, fig and tart orange palate; medium finish 91+ pts. (91 pts.) -
2006 Mahoney Vineyards Pinot Noir Mahoney Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
Medium cherry red color with clear meniscus; lovely soft cherry and roses nose; roses, lovely tart cherry palate with good balance and elegance; medium-plus finish (94 pts.)
Jeffrey Patterson Flight
Jeffrey Patterson
Jeffrey Patterson has been winemaker at Mount Eden since 1981. Mount Eden was founded in 1945, and was the location of Martin Ray’s namesake winery in the early 1950s, making Mount Eden’s lineage of estate bottled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir the longest in California. Patterson began a gradual replanting of the vineyard in 1984, but kept one acre of the original Pinot Noir vines as a “mother vineyard.” The remaining six Pinot acres are planted to Winery Lake, Mount Eden, Swan and Calera selections, and Dijon clones 115, 667, 777 and 828.
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1996 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Light medium red color, bricking, with clear meniscus; light mature strawberry, vaguely savory nose; tasty, mature red fruit, sandalwood, ripe cherry palate, with elegance; medium finish (93 pts.) -
1998 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
First bottle - TCA, that kept blooming
Second bottle - medium red color, slightly bricking, with clear meniscus; lovely herbal, orange spice, tart cherry nose; solid, youthful, tart cherry, orange palate; medium-plus finish (94 pts.) -
2000 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Bricking light medium red color with clear meniscus; floaty, tart red fruit, sandalwood nose; dried cherry, raspberry palate with depth and sweet tannins; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (93 pts.) -
2005 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Medium cherry red color with clear meniscus; big, floral, hibiscus, orange spice and tangerine nose; solid tart cherry, orange spice, tangerine palate, young yet; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)
Richard and Merry
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