Paul Hobbs Russian River Pinot Noir

 I am writing this tasting note after this 2020 Paul Hobbs Russian River Pinot Noir has been opened for two days. This is a good thing, as this wine is obviously young and a bit overwhelming.

This is a concentrated and rich wine. Selected from premium growers across the valley, the fruit delivers dark cherry, plum, beetroot and forest underbrush flavours. This is a brooding wine with firm, somewhat coarse tannins. The finish is long.

This wine is certainly on the big side for a Pinot Noir. Alcohol comes in at 14.3%. Paul Hobbs is a highly regarded winemaker, with operations in different continents, particularly in Argentina. He has a full throttle style, which you may or may not find appealing.

Score: 92/0

Two excellent American Pinot Noirs

 When it comes to American Pinot Noir, it is safest to avoid the 2019 and 2020 vintages. 2019 was very small, and 2020 affected by wildfires. However, 2018 and 2021 were very good.

At a recent tasting, I found two American Pinot Noirs standing out. The first was the 2018 Willakenzie Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This not well known Oregon winery has 420 acres of vineyards across a diversity of soil, aspect, and elevation. The structure built around grippy tannins is the major feature of this blended wine. Blue fruit flavours give way to savoury notes of mushroom and licorice. This is quite different from a pretty wine; more like a grizzly bear, but well balanced (94 points).

The second wine was the 2021 Littorai Les Larmes Pinot Noir. Littorai is one of the influential and trend setting wineries in Northern California, pushing in particular higher altitude vineyards closer to the coast. Most wines are single vineyard, but Les Larmes is a blend from Sonoma vineyards. This is quite a fresh and racy wine. Red fruits, in particular pomegranate feature. The wine shows firm minerality and a lasting finish (94 points).

American Pinot Noir

 My understanding of US Pinot Noir is less than of Burgundy, and certainly a lot less than of Australian or New Zealand Pinot Noir. However, I recently developed a theory of these wines.

The first area to gain recognition for Pinot Noir was Sonoma and Russian River. Just north of Napa, these regions are still quite warm, and most Pinot Noirs reflect this. They are quite dark and full-bodied, Shiraz drinkers Pinot Noir, if you like, and comparable to Central Otago. There are exceptions with lighter bodied wines, but this is the main rule. Then along came Oregon, which set out to make Pinot Noirs much closer to Burgundy (this is the theory, but see below). And recently, the Sonoma Coast gained prominence. This subregion is close to the ocean and at higher elevation, perhaps combining the best of the two main regions mentioned above.   

I recently tasted a couple of  premium wines from these last two regions. Let's first talk about the 2015 Evening Land La Source Pinot Noir. It comes from the Seven Springs Estate at Eola-Amity Hills, a key area in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

This wine has a light red colour translating into strawberry flavours. It is a very smooth and pretty wine, gentle, but not sweet. Acidity and tannins are light, with a medium finish. I liked this wine, but it certainly lacked the power or energy of good Burgundy.

Score: 93/++

The second wine was the 2016 Hirsch Vineyards West Ridge Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Hirsch is a very interesting winery. The owners have gone through a lot of trouble to identify different terroirs in their large holdings. The wines show remarkable variation from one site to another.

The West Ridge wine is very aromatic, with red cherry flavours and a medium plus intensity. It is quite a feminine wine with good fruit weight. It is fresh, with excellent balance of the underlying acidity and firm tannin structure. This wine gets closer to what one would expect as a classic Pinot Noir expression.

Score: 94/++

 

Kosta Browne Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir

There is often skepticism about the ageability of Californian wine, in particular so called cult wines with high alcohol level. Kosta Browne is a cult producer of Pinot Noir. How does this 2012 Kosta Browne Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir stand up today?

Well, it passes the test with flying colours. The wine colour is a translucent red, bright, with medium intensity. 

On the palate, red and black cherry, and wild berry flavours are really fresh. Surprisingly, there are hardly any secondary flavours I can taste. The fruit is dominant in this elegant wine, oak and high alcohol (14.6%) take a back seat. The wine is dry and smooth, on the back of finely grained tannins.

This is not the most complex wine, but it is simply delicious.

Score: 94/+++

Felton Road, Kosta Browne, Dumol Pinot Noirs

Felton Road and Kosta Browne are leading Pinot Noir producers in New Zealand and the US. I recently tasted a few of their wines from 2010 and 2011. As not many of you will have access to these wines, I will just make some general comments of my impressions.

The Pinot Noir wines of these producers age well. Primary fruit is still strong after 7 years and the structures are holding up well. However, and this is a big however, it is not obvious that the wines have improved with age. When these wines are young, they are just as attractive to drink; well balanced, great oak integration.

There are many similarities: red and black cherry fruit, not much forest undergrowth character, silky tannins, smooth finish.

The main difference is the fuller mouthfeel of Kosta Browne, but it is not a blockbuster, it is a pleasing sensation. The Felton Road wines are a bit edgier and have more drive. Overall I call it a draw.

Where these leading new world wines are still behind grand cru Burgundy: These French wines show more complexity on the palate after some years and an expanding finish, which is only rarely experienced from new world Pinot Noir.

Another star producer in the making is DuMol from Sonoma. Their estate vineyard has the highest density planting in California. I recently tasted two of their 2014 Pinot Noirs. The Russian River Pinot Noir has a profile of very black fruit, cherry and licorice. It is elegant with good length. The Estate Pinot Noir is similar, with more concentrated fruit. The hallmark of DuMol is the combination of fruit intensity and elegance. This is a producer well worth seeking out.

Idlewild Grenache Gris

If you are looking for something different, this wine could be for you. Grenache Gris is an obscure grape, a derivative of Grenache, grown as bush vine, but seldom bottled separately. Idlewild is based in Sonoma and sources grapes from different Sonoma and Russian River vineyards. They must have found enough Grenache Gris to make this bottling. Remarkable.

The 2013 Idlewild Grenache Gris is probably best classified as sitting between a Rose and Pinot Noir or as a Rose with something extra. This is a pale, dry pink wine with an interesting flavour spectrum. There is blood orange, apricot, but also raspberry and red cherry. The acidity ensures the fruit is fresh and not confected. The wine has a fine line on the palate and fine tannins engulf the flavours. The finish shows minerality, with a hint of fruit. It reminds me of a very light Nebbiolo. I suggest drinking this now or in the next couple of years.

Score: 92/+++

Peter Michael Les Pavots

My American readers have dropped off a bit during my tour de France. So here is a review of an American wine I had a chance to drink during this period.

Peter Knight is an English gentleman who is very serious about his winemaking in Sonoma County. His Les Pavots is his take on Bordeaux. The 2009 Peter Michael Les Pavots consists of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. The colour is dark, and the flavours are complex. Blackcurrant fruit is followed by cedar and graphite. There is good intensity in this wine, without the fruit being overripe. The wine is quite lacy and racy, with silky tannins, but the finish is slightly alcoholic.

This is, nevertheless, not a Napa monster, but a balanced wine. It is a good example how the blend of grapes adds complexity, while being seamless at the same time.

Score: 94/++

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir

It is timely to write a Kosta Browne review today, as news hit my desk that the private equity firm holding the majority of shares of this highly regarded and highly successful producer  has sold out. However, it seems business as usual, as the equity got flipped to another private equity firm. The risk is that pressure to produce more volume will dilute quality .We will have to see.

The 2009 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir certainly did very well, as it became the Wine Spectator's wine of the year in 2011. How does it stack up in 2014?

As expected, this is a full-bodied Pinot Noir. It is very soft and smooth and has initial appeal. However, the wine does not quite hold it. Dark cherry flavours dominate, alcohol becomes noticeable on the back palate and edges out the otherwise attractive silky tannins.

This wine is juicy, and a little ripe and sweet for me. It is, however, well made and not outside typical expectations for Pinot Noir.

Score: 93/0  

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma County

I mentioned in a couple of posts below in the review of AP Vin the development of Cult Pinot Noirs in California. I was curious how the 2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma County would compare to the AP Vin from the same area and year.

This trailblazer of full blown Pinot Noirs delivers pretty well. The full-bodied wine tastes of predominantly red cherry. The wine is smooth and elegant, and the tannins have softened. It is not what you would regard  a classic Burgundy, there is not much forest floor in the flavour profile, nor a lift on the finish. This is more a Shiraz drinker's Pinot Noir. This wine is a nice package and drinks well now, but I would not keep it much longer.

Score: 93/+

AP Vin Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard

Cult wines from California were synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon for a long time. But for a while now a handful of Pinot Noir producers have joined the club. Kosta Browne is probably the best known. Another one is AP Vin. The characteristics are: small production, sold out mailing lists, single vineyard wines, careful treatment, a lot by hand, and of course high prices.

How well do they live up to their reputation? AP Vin shares the Kanzler vineyard in Sonoma with Kosta Browne, which has achieved high ratings for its wine. The 2007 AP Vin Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard tastes of black cherry. I experienced big fruit volume in the mouth, but not overripe. The wine has a good structure and is holding up well. It finishes with firm tannins and slightly broad - no real lift on the finish, but a good quality wine.

Score: 92/+

2007 Californian Pinot Noir

The phenomenon of the cult wine started in California. The recipe seemed simple: The wine had to be low volume. As volume increases, distribute it over many different wines with terroir being the theme. Produce a 'Parker' wine i. e. highly concentrated, ripe and alcoholic.Sell only through the mailing list and a few restaurants, create a waitlist. Charge a high price.

Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa was the wine this was first done with, and with some justification, as these wines compared well to Bordeaux wines in blind tastings.In the last ten years, people have started to try this with Pinot Noir as well. How good are these difficult to get wines?

Over the last few days I tasted two difficult to get Pinot Noirs from the much heralded 2007 vintage from Sonoma, the heart of Californian Pinot Noir.

The first wine is the 2007 A.P. Vin Kanzler Vineyard Pinot Noir. This wine has some of the traits described above, and in a negative way. It is overly ripe, sugary and plump. Yes, there are concentrated cherry flavours, but they are not very varietal. The ethereal characteristic, found in exciting Pinot Noirs, is totally absent and the finish is not long.

Score: 89/--  (I could have scored this less, but my personal view is in the second measure)

The second wine is the 2007 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. This is a blended wine from Sonoma vineyards. There is a lot of hype about this wine at present, as the 2009 vintage just won the prestigeous 'Wine of the Year' against all comers by the Wine Spectator Magazine. - This is the better wine of the two. It displays dark cherry flavours, there is silkiness on the palate and some length in the finish. However, the emphasis is all on fruit, rather than savoury characteristics. This wine is pretty, but lacks the complexity and underlying secondary flavours of top Pinot Noirs.

Score: 92/+

I will drink more American Pinot Noir this year, and yes, I have a bottle of the 2009 Kosta Browne winner. I am interested to see if I come across a wine as good as some Australian ones. - This seems an outrageous statement, but it just shows the power of good marketing.

Napa/Sonoma Valley, part 2

The Sonoma Wine Festival was on for my second day. I thought this would be a good opportunity to capture a lot of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, without having to go to the wineries in this larger area.

In principle it worked similar to when the Hunter comes to Balmoral etc., except it was 10 times larger, with maybe 250 wineries participating. There were four big tents for the big appelations of Alexander Valley, Dry Creek, Russian River and Sonoma. One of the great things was that many wineries offered a snack which went well with their wine, and they were quite sophisticated.

My overall theory did not work so well, though, because like here, the best wineries were not represented. The other complication was that there was a special area where, for a premium ticket, special wines were poured. They were better in quality, but often very unusual bottlings you could never hope to find.

Overall, the quality level was disappointing, in particular for white wine, but also for Pinot Noir. I found some good ones, though, from Scribe, Garry Farrell and Willowbrook. The best Pinots came from Russian River. They tended to be quite ethereal in nature, only medium bodied, and more in the strawberry and forest floor flavour spectrum, rather than cherry.

The top wine for me was a 2004 Pinot Noir from Clouds Rest, a fairly unknown producer with very densely planted vineyards, similar to William Downie here.

My conclusion was that as far as new world Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is concerned, Australia can hold its head high, and certainly match what I found in Sonoma.

However, day 3 is still to come.

Gloria Ferrer 'Etesian' Pinot Noir

This wine is a 2006 Pinot Noir from Sonoma. In a number of ways, Sonoma is to Burgundy what Napa is to Bordeaux. These wines can be attractive for their fruit and have good structure as well.

This Pinot is medium to full bodied and has an attractive flavour of raspberry, cherry and mushroom. It is quite dry and very balanced. The texture is not perfect, but the wine has some pleasant length.