What are California's oldest producing Pinot Noir Vineyards?

[Paul_Romero]

@Ian Brand

As a hopeless contrarian, this is where I point out that most of the great 70s SCM Pinots were grown on a sprawling trellis system. Not that I want anything to do with farming one. Too lazy.

Well the Varner’s make it work by turning it upside down, cane pruning, and custom building a spray rig that goes over the vines and sprays downward. Not lazy in any way Sprawl means non-organic too and right away I figure I’m working with a cheap/stubborn homeowner, because I’m sure they’ve been told at least 20 times to replace the trellis and they haven’t.

[Ed_Kurtzman]

@Cris Whetstone

@Richard Jennings

@Richard Jennings

The answer can be found in great and wonderful detail in John Winthrop Haeger’s excellent North American Pinot Noir book. The earliest plantings that eventually became part of Chalone go way back to 1920; I don’t recall, without reviewing the book, whether any of the earliest vines planted in Carneros and at Inglenook in the 1880s are still producing.

The answer is on page 238 of North American Pinot Noir. A 2.2 acre block at Chalone, on the southern side of the access road from Highway 146, part of its Lower Vineyard, was planted in 1946. “Now that the old Martin Ray vineyard at Mount Eden has been pulled out, this is the oldest pinot still producing anywhere in North America.”

Wow. Thanks for this Richard. I’ve read about Chalone in some books but I don’t recall it going back that far. Very cool.

It’s for sure that the 1946 plantings of PN at Chalone were taken out in 2003. I spoke with Chalone’s vineyard manager, Richard Boer, yesterday. The oldest PN there now is the Macwood 1 block, planted in 1971. The oldest vines on the property are the 1919 Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. I had heard that these had been ripped out too, but Richard told me they’re still alive and well.

[Peter_C]

@Steven Rigisich

@ekovitch

Was this the source of the BV Pinots?

Errol,

I believe the grapes for this wine came from the Stanly Ranch in Carneros, which is south of the 121/12 and Hwy 29 intersection. Tchelistcheff had purchased pinot from the vineyard in the past but when Louis Martini purchased the property in the early '40s and replanted the vineyard to pinot noir and chardonnay, he invested deep in the area. Eventually, Tchelistcheff and BV purchased their own 100 acre property near Stanly Ranch and produced more than a few vintages of terrific pinot (and many clunkers as well).

Regards,
Steve

Doesn’t Saintsbury still make pinot from Stanly Ranch? And what happened to the “e” is the real question!

[Chris_Seiber]

Tom Dehlinger walked me and my wife around part of his vineyard in May. He said he planted the vineyard in 1975, and I think most of the vines are the original plantings. I think (someone correct me if I’m wrong) that he was the first to plant pinot noir in Sonoma County, or in the Russian River Valley.

One of the many benefits of that long of a track record – he has the vines labeled individually based on the soil there and the type/quality of fruit the vine produced, literally from vine to vine with in a row.

[Richard_Leland]

@Richard Jennings

@Richard Jennings

The answer can be found in great and wonderful detail in John Winthrop Haeger’s excellent North American Pinot Noir book. The earliest plantings that eventually became part of Chalone go way back to 1920; I don’t recall, without reviewing the book, whether any of the earliest vines planted in Carneros and at Inglenook in the 1880s are still producing.

The answer is on page 238 of North American Pinot Noir. A 2.2 acre block at Chalone, on the southern side of the access road from Highway 146, part of its Lower Vineyard, was planted in 1946. “Now that the old Martin Ray vineyard at Mount Eden has been pulled out, this is the oldest pinot still producing anywhere in North America.”

I haven’t been up there in over 30 years, but if there are still vines at what is now the music venue called the “Mountain Winery” in the hills above Saratoga then those would probably qualify as the oldest Pinot Noir in California.

When Paul Masson emigrated to California from Burgundy at the turn of the 20th century he brought Pinot Noir cuttings with him. His first winery was in the San Jose area but eventually he built the Mountain Winery and planted fairly extensive vineyards. He sold the property to Martin Ray - I think it was in the late 1920s - who in turn sold it to Seagrams in 1946. (Martin Ray then moved one hill over and started what is now Mt Eden.) Anyway, when I worked for Seagrams/Paul Masson in the 70’s I had a chance to make a tiny quantity of wine from those vines. The vineyard was mostly decorative at that point and the grapes weren’t even being picked.

[Wes_Barton]

@Richard Leland

@Richard Jennings

@Richard Jennings

The answer can be found in great and wonderful detail in John Winthrop Haeger’s excellent North American Pinot Noir book. The earliest plantings that eventually became part of Chalone go way back to 1920; I don’t recall, without reviewing the book, whether any of the earliest vines planted in Carneros and at Inglenook in the 1880s are still producing.

The answer is on page 238 of North American Pinot Noir. A 2.2 acre block at Chalone, on the southern side of the access road from Highway 146, part of its Lower Vineyard, was planted in 1946. “Now that the old Martin Ray vineyard at Mount Eden has been pulled out, this is the oldest pinot still producing anywhere in North America.”

I haven’t been up there in over 30 years, but if there are still vines at what is now the music venue called the “Mountain Winery” in the hills above Saratoga then those would probably qualify as the oldest Pinot Noir in California.

When Paul Masson emigrated to California from Burgundy at the turn of the 20th century he brought Pinot Noir cuttings with him. His first winery was in the San Jose area but eventually he built the Mountain Winery and planted fairly extensive vineyards. He sold the property to Martin Ray - I think it was in the late 1920s - who in turn sold it to Seagrams in 1946. (Martin Ray then moved one hill over and started what is now Mt Eden.) Anyway, when I worked for Seagrams/Paul Masson in the 70’s I had a chance to make a tiny quantity of wine from those vines. The vineyard was mostly decorative at that point and the grapes weren’t even being picked.

The Mountain Winery has long been a concert venue. More recently, one of the current owners had some of the vineyard land replanted to Pinot and Chard (and it’s being expanded). So, no old vines. (First vintage '06, wines made by Jeffrey Patterson of Mount Eden.)

Minor correction - Masson took a long trip back to France, spending time with family winemakers in Burgundy and Champagne, then brought those Chard and Pinot cuttings.

[Ty_Hockstaff]

Cohn Vineyard (Benovia Ranch) Russian River Valley, over 40 year old Pinot vines!

[Dan_Kravitz]

to Chris Seiber et al,

I have had Pedroncelli (now there’s a name I haven’t seen often if ever on the boards) Pinot Noirs from back to the ?'60’s or early '70’s. The early versions IIRC were 51% Pinot Noir and 49% Zinfandel to meet BATFuck requirements for varietal labeling. I think about 10 years after their first bottling they made pure Pinot Noir.

Dan Kravitz