2014 Failla Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/4/2016)
Only a few days after arrival, I had to open a bottle from my very first Failla club shipment. Very much impressed with this wine, as it combines bright red fruit with an elegant frame. There’s solid acidity and just enough tannin to frame the whole thing. I may not consider this as a candidate for long aging, but it sure is delicious tonight.
Posted from CellarTracker
Me, too, David. Not a WineClub member, but my case (mostly Estate Syrah) arrived on Thurs. So last
night I cracked the SonomaCoast Chard. Horribly corked. Undrinkable. Then cracked the basic SonomaCoast Pinot. Quite a nice/pretty Pinot and worth the $34.
I like Ehren’s Pinots a lot, but they’re a bit pricey for my blood. His basic SonomaCoast Chard/Pinot are decent values. His other, higher-end, Pinots & Chards less so. But his Estate Syrah is always a must-buy for me. A world-class cold-climate Syrah it is.
Tom
Guys…slightly different experiences with the chard. Bottle 1 was tremendous, bottle 2 less so, bottle 3 was flawed. Totally agree with Tom on the pricing; single vineyard pinots and a couple chards have gotten pretty rich, but I still buy a few. My faves are the viognier from Alban fruit (try it next to Alban’s version) and the syrahs. When Ehren first started (and I followed him almost from the start) it seemed like he had a vision of a Rhone varietal winery. He’s drifted off into chards and pinots; I guess that’s what sells and for big $.
Yup, Jim…his AlbanVnyd Viognier is world-class. Alas…he no longer gets that fruit.
Tom
Tom: Thanks for the update. I knew he was on the verge of losing the Alban fruit; probably no one but John gets it now?? The viognier must have been really low production anyway. Now it is just syrahs left in the Rhone program…and I will continue to buy.
On the cost issue, I have not yet made up my mind after 1 bottle, but on average (4 bottle club shipments) these are less expensive than Littorai or Rhys (to name just 2), so I am happy to give them a shot, and see where I think they fit in the pecking order.
I’ve enjoyed some Failla wines over the last few years, purchased an '06 Hirsch PN earlier this summer and it was a little underwhelmed with it however it was my first Hirsch Vyd PN with that much age on it. I do enjoy the Ft Ross-Seaview Chard, Coombsville one as well something about them, not sure at the price it’s for me but worth the splurge. The Syrah has been been very good and sad I never tired the Viognier other than to taste it once. Has anyone tried his new Cab and Zin projects coming up? I had an opportunity to try them at a pickup party earlier this year, not bad but I didn’t sign up just didn’t feel it yet maybe catch one when they hit gen pop release.
Also wanted to add that the Sonoma Coast PN/Chard are great values out there as well.
