Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California (1): exploring the neighbourhoods through the lens of Pinot Noir
Back in 2003 the Russian River Pinot Forum was first established. The goal was to educate wine buyers about what makes this Sonoma County wine region a special place for growing Pinot Noir, and this year, I was invited as a wine journalist with an international perspective to join in with an audience based almost exclusively of hospitality professionals from across the USA for a three-day deep dive into the region. This was followed with some producer visits, where I branched beyond Pinot, but here the focus is firmly on the grape that has made this region famous – although I would argue not as famous as the quality of Pinots being produced here now should merit.
Things kicked off with a ‘Welcome to the Neighbourhoods’ seminar. This was a grand tasting moderated excellently by Evan Goldstein MS, tasting through a range of Pinot Noirs from the six different neighbourhoods of the region. This was my first exposure to the ‘neighbourhoods’ concept, and it is a great way to begin to understand the Russian River Valley. This is now a significant area in the heart of Sonoma County covering 127 000 acres (51 400 hectares). It’s clear that such a large area will have some variability in it.
A short film about the neighbourhoods concept:
The Russian River Valley AVA was established back in 1983, and since then people have identified distinctive characteristics of various neighbourhoods as more and more people have been making Pinot Noir here. There’s been quite a lot of discussion about this concept, and in particular about decisions on where the neighbourhood boundaries lie. As plantings have expanded over time, do the historical ideas of neighbourhoods still hold? The answer is yes, more-or-less.
There are six neighbourhoods. The nuances between them are becoming distinctly clearer, and in part because of winemaking with intent to bring these characters out. But not all wines are made in a way that expresses terroir, and some terroirs don’t have much of interest to say. So it’s quite a complex discussion.
Mike Sullivan of Benovia began by explaining how the neighbourhood concept arose. The neighbourhood initiative began 30 years ago, starting in the late 1990s. A group of producers got together to begin to taste lots of wines from the different areas, and noticed that there were certain similarities shared among the wines from each neighbourhood, and that it was possible to pull out some flavour similarities in Pinot from each one.
‘As a group we wanted to identify ourselves what distinguished Russian River Valley wines,’ says Sullivan. ‘We began doing sensory work with Greg La Follette, but it was difficult to make a consensus.’
It was tricky to define the differences between these neighbourhoods in a more formal manner. The initial attempt to do this on sensory properties was a bit inconclusive. This attempt to nail down the neighbourhood flavour signature was resurrected again in 2014 and it once again proved difficult to do in terms of sensory analysis. So they then turned to wine chemistry, and asked noted wine scientist Professor Roger Boulton at University of California Davis to help them out. Boulton used an elemental analyser from Ajilent Technologies. They sent him samples of the 2015 vintage, and then this was repeated in 2017. They looked at 16 biologically active elements, and the results showed up as spots on a spider web graft with tight groupings by neighbourhood.
Boulton had never seen something like this in his career. This was a scientific validation of something they’d seen in the wine but had struggled to pinpoint. Although you can’t get to wine flavour from elemental analysis like this, the work validated the distinctive nature of Pinot Noir from different parts of the Russian River Valley.
Sebastopol Hills
These are overlapping Green Valley and run up to the boundary of West Sonoma Coast. This subregion creeps into the north of the Petaluma Gap. Soils are mostly Goldridge. There is more rain here. Sandy loam is highly erosion prone so vineyards need to be managed carefully. It’s the coolest part of the Russian River Valley, colder, windier and rainier with wines that have higher acidity. Rooibos tea, hibiscus tea, blood orange are some of the local characteristics named by winemakers, as well as fine-grained tannins. Historically this was an apple-growing region deemed too cold for grapes.
Baletto Vineyards Sexton Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Anthony Beckman, winemaker, presented this. This site was planted in 2009, with the first vintage in 2011. They keep all the fruit from this vineyard, which is unusual (they have 800 acres of vines and sell more than 90% of their grapes). Taut and fresh with some dark spicy characters and a hint of roast coffee. It’s nicely structured with good acidity and bright fruit, with some powerful, savoury, spicy notes adding a foil to the sweet fruit. It finishes supple, bright and primary with good acidity and plenty of freshness. 94/100
Hartford Family Winery Jennifer’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
Tiaan Lordon presented this wine. The vineyard is on the edge of Petaluma Gap and was planted in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It’s a very cool site that faces west, with 667 and Swan clones. This is a remarkable wine: it has real presence and density, but also freshness. There’s a sweet mid-palate with lush raspberry and cherry fruit, but there’s also good acidity and some nice structure. Has some savoury spiciness and a touch of salinity, but also lovely fruit. Bold and intense with amazing concentration and finesse. Finishes nicely sweet. 95/100
Scherrer Winery High Slopes Pinot Noir 2017
Fred Scherrer presented this. The site has coastal influence but also gives generosity to the fruit. It’s on the protected side of the hill. Dijon clone on a steep slope which varies quite a bit from top to bottom. There’s some depth to this wine and also some evolution, with sweet black cherry and blackberry fruit. Notes of iodine and spice, with some earthiness, and a touch of black coffee and tar. Refined. 93/100
Senses Wines Kanzler Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
Chris Strieter presented this. He founded Senses with two friends in 2011 and made 100 cases. Thomas Rivers Brown makes the wine. They are local folk and work with people they know. This is one of the oldest vineyards in Sebastopol Hills and is one of their local picks. It’s a cold, windy, foggy site. Floral and bright on the nose with elegant red cherry and plum fruit. The palate is bright and sappy with amazing freshness and bright red fruits, but also a hint of savoury spiciness adding savouriness. Polished but still has freshness and detail. Supple and fine. 95/100
Green Valley
This is recognized as an AVA (since 1983, when Russian River Valley was awarded the same), the only one of the neighbourhoods where this happens. South of Forestville and north of Sebastopol. It is a nest that cradles fog, which is the trademark of this subregion. Marine weather enters through the Petaluma gap and ends up here. Cool morning temperatures, so there are lower daytime temperatures overall. This is one of the coolest of the neighbourhoods, largely because of the fog. When this AVA is used on a label it has to be written ‘Green Valley of the Russian River Valley.’
DuMol Estate Pinot Noir 2022
Jenna Davis presented this wine. The winery started in 1996 and has been focused on the Green Valley, where they have 70 acres of vines. They get the benefits of nice fruit intensity, but the thick fog cover and coastal influence brings vibrancy. This is a 20 year old plot and is planted at high density (3630 per acre). This is a concentrated, rich wine with lovely black and red cherry intensity, but also some nice structure, blending well with the intense fruit. It’s really rich with good weight, but also freshness, showing good acidity and a nice texture. 95/100
Emeritus Vineyards Hallberg Ranch Pinot Noir 2020
Mari Jones presented this wine. They have 140 acres of estate vineyards, which have been dry farmed since 2011, resulting in smaller berries and clusters, and physiological ripeness is achieved earlier. Planted in 2000. This is bright and focused with nice sweet black cherry and raspberry fruit as well as some savoury detail. Has lovely depth and a seamless texture, finishing with a touch of firmness. Very stylish. 94/100
Martinelli Winery Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir 2022
Presented by Courtney Wagoner. Tony Bondi was one of the largest apple growers in the region. The market collapsed in the late 1990s and this vineyard was planted in 1997. It’s their first vineyard to bloom and the last to pick. Courtney picks at around 26 Brix and the resulting alcohol is 15%, so this is a bit of an outlier. This is ripe, fruity and generous with some richness, showing lush, ripe cherry fruit with a smooth palate and soft tannins. There’s a bit of spicy structure, but this is all about ripe, easy fruit with massive approachability. 92/100
Santa Rosa Plains
Closest to Santa Rosa, on the east side of the Laguna de Santa Rosa. The fog burns off quicker and there’s often a big diurnal shift here. It’s a workhorse neighbourhood, and there’s also quite a bit of Zinfandel here as well as Pinot and Chardonnay. The soils here are older with loams predominating.
Benovia Winery Martaellla Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Mike Sullivan presented this. This site used to be a plum orchard. Planted at high density, planted at 42 degrees north, 4 x 4 foot spacing. Small vines, each yielding lowly. Planted with 10 heritage clones. Sweetly aromatic with a little development, showing sweet red cherries and herbs. The palate is ripe with sweet berry fruits but also some nice structure. Harmonious with smooth sweet fruit at its core. It seems easy at first, but there’s some complexity hiding under the fruit. Supple. 94/100
Lando Wines Sauvés La Vie Pinot Noir 2022
Sam Lando presented this wine. 30 year old vines. This is rich and sweetly fruited with concentrated bold cherries and berries. It’s lush and very fruity with some fine-grained tannins and a touch of sweet oak that integrates well. Bright and expressive but also very sweetly fruited and appealing. A smooth, pleasurable Pinot that’s quite rich and seamless. 92/100
Pellegrini-Olivet Lane Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Charlie Fouroat presented this wine. The Pellegrini family came here in 1919 and made their first wines in 1925. They imported wines from Italy, and purchased Olivet Lane in 1972, planting it from 1973-1975. They were one of the pioneers of Chardonnay and Pinot here. Very wide spacing with large vines that see quite a bit of afternoon sun. This is a bright Pinot with lots of fresh fruit. Fruit dominated: raspberry and cherry with nice focus and good acidity. This is all about bright fruit with some juiciness and nice focus. Pretty. 92/100
Laguna Ridge
The ridgeline separating Green Valley from the Laguna de Santa Rosa. A narrow strip of hills, with Goldridge soils that are well drained. It makes lush, layered wines often with a hint of orange peel, and some pomegranate, according to the winemakers. Red fruit and soft tannins, also.
La Crema Saralee’s Pinot Noir 2021
Craig McAllister presented this wine. Saralee’s is a famous vineyard, developed and planted by Saralee and Richard Kunde, and La Crema bought it 2012. It’s 200 acres of vines, but they are doing some replanting and have a composting operation there for all the estate vineyards. It’s the test bed for the JFW regenerative farming work. This vineyard gives them an elegant style of Pinot Noir. It’s a flat vineyard. This is vibrant and juicy with bright red fruit characters and some nice structure. The oak (30% new) is well integrated. Largely Martini clone but also Mount Eden and Swan and some Dijon clones. Crunchy raspberry fruit with good acidity, and finishes with some grip. Compact and focused, this is really good. 94/100
Martin Ray Winery Estate Pinot Noir Clone 37 2021
Leslie Renaud presented this wine. The vineyard is in the middle of Laguna Ridge, and they have five clones, but this is clone 37 also known as the Martin Ray clone. Highly aromatic with lots of fresh sweet cherry and plum fruit. Nice fine spices on the finish. Really attractive, ripe, supple fruit at its core with some fine green notes and exotic spices. Very appealing and inviting. 93/100
Sonoma Cutrer Vinehill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
This has some density with quite a bit of oak in the mix (33% new) adding spice and structure, with nice tannins supporting the ripe cherry and berry fruits. Nice bold fruit here with a sweet core and a nice spicy finish. Very appealing with sweet fruit. 92/100
The Calling Russian River Valley Pinor Noir 2022
James McPhail showed this. A blend of 16 vineyards with the majority Laguna Ridge. 15 clones. 3-4 million years ago the Pacific came almost to Sebastopol. The soils here are an ancient uplifted ocean floor. This is ripe, generous and sweetly fruited with a lush core of strawberry and cherry, with some nice fine spicy notes at the fringes. This is really broad and fruity and has some warmth and a core of very sweet fruit, with a touch of negroni. It’s a distinctive style, very ripe, but it works really well. 94/100
Middle Reach
A northerly subregion close to the Russian River itself. South of Healdsburg and the Dry Creek Valley. Hot days and cool nights. This makes lush, rich wines and this is often what people think about the Russian River Valley. Soils are mostly alluvial material from the Russian River: gravels, sands, silt and clay. It’s a warm neighbourhood.
Davis Bynum Winery River West Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Greg Morthole presented this wine. He started making the Davis Bynum wines in 2010; they’d purchased the winery in 2007. 55% Wente clone and Pommard and 115. Eastern-facing slopes, sandy soils. This is floral and sweetly fruited with cherries and raspberries, and a nice acid line. It’s ripe and sweetly fruited with a hint of pepper and some cinnamon, showing a lovely combination of sweet fruit, structure and some spicy detail. Very appealing. 93/100
Gary Farrell Winery Bacigalupi Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019
Theresa Heredia presented this. Gary Farrell was a pioneer of the Russian River. He made his first wine in 1982 when he was winemaker for Rochioli. 100% Wente, which is a clone with its origins in Pommard. A warm site, 15% whole cluster. This is bright, sappy and detailed with real elegance. It’s lighter in style but has a lot of flavour, with a lush mid-palate but also lovely red fruits and a bit of spicy detail, as well as some herbal hints. This is beautiful. 96/100
Landmark Winery Hop Kiln Reserve Pinot Noir 2021
Greg Stach showed this. They bought this vineyard in 2016. This is a block of 943 clone, with tiny berries. This is concentrated, rich and fruit forward with a core of sweet cherries and berries, with some beetroot and dried herbs, but also lovely lush, sweet fruit. Very attractive in a ripe style with lush fruit at its core. 93/100
Joseph Jewell Martini Clone Old Girls Starscape Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020
Adrian Manspeaker presented this. The winery started in 2006 and evolved slowly. The vineyard is 70 acres. This is from a block of vines planted in 1971, which they first got hold of in 2014. 18 months in oak, 20% new. This shows lovely definition with ripe cherry and berry fruit with a bit of spicy structure. Nice dynamic range here with sweet, lush fruit but also nice brightness and structure. There’s room for development here. 94/100
Eastern Hills
The northernmost neighbourhood at the western edge of the Mayacamas range, with very little fog influence, and the diverse soils are vocanic and sedimentary. It’s the most diverse of the neighbourhoods, and experiences warm afternoon sun. Bordeaux varieties are common here, and Pinot is less common.
Notre Vue Balverne Estate Pinot Noir 2021
Scott presented this. Four different clones, on alluvial Russian River deposits. Low SO2 here, with a non-Saccharomyces yeast during the cold soak. This has freshness and elegance, with a core of sweet black cherry and red cherry fruit, showing lushness, florality and also some brightness on the finish. There’s a hint of honey here, sitting under the sweet ripe fruit. Lovely balance, in a distinctive style. 94/100
Ancient Oak Cellars Siebert Ranch Pinot Noir 2022
Greg La Follete presented this. This is the first crop of a replanted vineyard that had been burned. It’s dark with sweet black cherries and some herbal hints in the background. Ripe but well balanced with a core of sweet blackfruits and some nice fine spices and herbs in the background, and a hint of cola. Very appealing. 93/100
EXPLORING THE RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
