Failla Wines: beautiful site-specific wines from some of northern California’s best vineyards
Website: https://www.faillawines.com/
Ehren Jordan is the winemaker and owner at Failla, and he’s quite a dude. He got his first job in wine at Joseph Phelps in Napa. He began as tour guide, but caught the eye of vice president Bruce Neyers, and he eventually found his way into the cellar. Then he set off for some overseas experience, where he interned at Jean-Luc Colombo in the northern Rhône. He returned to California two years later to work with Neyers at his own winery in 1994, and then got hired by Turley as winemaker in 1996, where he stayed for 18 years.
He began Failla in 1998, with a view to making elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. As well as sourcing grapes from top vineyards, he was an early believer in the Fort Ross-Seaview region of the Sonoma Coast, and bought land there in 1997, where he planted 4 hectares of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.
Failla Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2020 California
Fine with subtle mealy notes as well as pear and peach fruit. Harmonious, with nice acidity. 93/100
Failla Platt Vineyard Chardonnay 2020 Sonoma Coast, California
Complex and lively with bright citrus fruit, a touch of apple and some pineapple characters. Mineral and saline, and quite perfumed with some fine spicy layers and good acidity. 95/100
Failla Olivet Ranch Chardonnay 2021 Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California
Intense and lively with lovely citrus fruit and some fine spicy notes. Mineral and intense with good spicy detail to the vibrant citrus fruit, and a touch of pineapple. 94/100
Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021California
Fine and fresh with nice intensity as well as some silkiness. Sweet red cherries, strawberries and raspberries, showing lovely weight. 94/100
Failla Estate Pinot Noir Fort Ross Seaview 2020 Sonoma Coast, California
Textured and refined with a core of sweet red cherry fruit with some fine spicy notes. Dense but refined and showing real elegance. Lovely detail here. 95/100
Failla Olivet Ranch Pinot Noir 2020 Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California
Textural, sleek and elegant with fine, polished red cherry fruit and some good weight. Fine-grained structure holds everything in tension. So elegant and textural. 96/100
Failla Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 Anderson Valley, California
Focused floral red fruits nose. Really silky and fine, with good structure on the palate. So silky and smooth, and sweetly fruited. 95/100
Failla Estate Syrah Fort Ross Seaview 2019 Sonoma Coast, California
Lovely weight here to this supple Syrah, showing peppery red fruits and nice structure and acidity. Fine and expressive. 93/100
Failla Tin Barn Syrah 2017 Sonoma Coast, California
Dense and intense with lots of savouriness. There’s a hint of apple and spice as well as charcoal and meat, complementing the berry fruits. Good acid and structure here. 95/100
Failla Grist Vineyard Zinfandel 2017 Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, California
Grippy and dense, and quite structured, showing nice vivid blackberry fruit with some cherry notes. Spicy and firm. 91/100
Failla DAY Zinfandel 2018 Russian River Valley, California
Sweetly fruited with nice density. Bold and rich with nice grip. Grainy and intense. 92/100
UK agent: Flint Wines
