88 |THEWORLD OFFINEWINE |ISSUE 67 |2020 nouveau /liquidassetspreview /review The latest releases from thePeay family vineyards are winesofuncommon Peay Vineyards: Arresting new expressions brightness andvervethat encapsulate thequalitiesofnew, cool of ’s dynamicwinelandscape West SonomaCoastAVA, says AnneKrebiehl MW W of California’s dynamicwine landscape. highlights arresting newexpressions in termsofquality, ifnotquantity, it for theirown AVA in2018.Certainly Fort Ross-Seaview AVA byapplying much larger SonomaCoastAVA and and theircoolerclimate—from the got together todistinguishthemselves— includes Littorai, Redcar, andFailla, that a smallgroup ofwinemakers, whichalso Sonoma Coast.ThePeays were among new AVA isabouttoberatified: West there earlier, butnowa similarly distinct involved. Fort Ross-SeaviewAVA got American Viticultural Area status are when officialdomandapplications for takes itsownsweet time,especially topography, andsoil.Definingsuchthings the otheriswhat nature gives:climate, one element; But winemakingstyleisonly but effective yearsfrom 2011until2016. to changeperceptions initsfiveshort Pursuit ofBalancemovementdidalot freshness isnolongernews.TheIn eternal aboutthem. breeze. There issomethingvisceral and floor, oftiny, tartred berries,andsalty conifer, occasional eucalypt, offorest lifted coastalnotions:thesmellof the coldoceanandallofthosebrilliantly they holdwithinthemthat brisknessof The Pinots carry acertainwilderness; (by Justerini &Brooks, theUKagents). on acoldNovember dayinLondon glass, evenwhenthewinesare shown find thislandscape reflected intheir and remote northSonomacoastwill who haveexplored California’s rugged more sun-warmedoffering. Yet those too muchslendernessfor theusually too muchverve,brightness, immediately withCalifornia;immediately there is That California doesthiskindof pushed to associate it pushed toassociate it Noir blindwouldbehard hoever tastesPeay Pinot

Photography by Anne Krebiehl MW at around 1.6–1.7tons/acre. always affects fruit-set, soyieldsare low, until thefirstweekofJune. Thewind noting that thevinesdon’t flower usually need thisextra time,”Peay emphasizes, and evenintoNovember for . “We , October early for , don’t startuntillate Septemberfor the east-facing ones.”Theirharvests Our west-facing hillsare coolerthan get rain asalittlespritzinOctober. on thehottestdayever, andweonly [Fahrenheit, or low20sCelsius],even “We don’t getoutofthelow70s really Wheatfield Fork oftheGualalaRiver. cold air,” heexplains,referring tothe River isthechannelthat bringsin season,” Peay continues.“TheGualala all fog andwindthroughout thegrowing moderating temperatures and sending us refrigerator for allofusintheWSC AVA, band, because thePacific Ocean isthe but thisisallwithinafairly narrow perhaps more fruitand/orloweracidity, that can exhibitdarker tonesand inhigher-elevation, warmerareas lying Sonoma CoastAVA, there are regions fatness andheaviness.WithintheWest density anddepthofflavorwithout wines that provide aframe todeliver acidity andsilkytanninsinmostofour south ofAnnapolis.“You findnervy forests, 4miles(6.5km)from thesea,just can gettothePeay Vineyards deepin the coastal range meansthat coldoceanair (13°C) year-round, andabreak inthe coast ranges from 52°F(11°C)to55°F the Pacific onthenorthernCalifornia and 1,800ft[550m]).Thetemperature of the fog layer(between 920ft[280m] elevations for above vineyards clearly Fort Ross-SeaviewAVA, whichstipulates is thuscoolerthanthevineyards ofthe layer at anelevation of600ft(183m),and a complexandbeguiling picture.” notes that can workinharmonytopaint tea, citrus,andotherfloral andtartfruit complexity ofaromas tofeature earth, winemakers whochoosetoemphasize areas ofSonomaCounty. Thisallows the wineasitmayinwarmerinland so thefruitexpression doesnotdominate the componentsofwineinbalance, Ocean. Thelackofhotweather keeps location alongthecoastofPacific of theAVA. Theyexpress siteduetotheir good snapshotoftheoverall character Andy Peay explains:“Peay winesare a A snapshotoftheAVA Peay Vineyards lieswithinthefog

are sodistinct,delicious,orvisceral. objectives. Few otherCalifornia wines satisfy thoseoriginal wines beautifully Their firstvintage wasin2001.Andthe earthiness, more tea notes,notjustfruit.” spots. We were lookingfor florality, Chardonnay—were inmuchwarmer most interested in—Pinot Noir and In the1990s,varietieswewere We were lookingfor aplaceontheedge. Nobody hadeverplantedgrapes outhere. came across thisranch andappleorchard. sun,” Andyrecalls. “In August 1996,I not havetostrugglewiththeCalifornia a location where itwascold,sowedid to make wine.“We were inpursuitof life, butsomehowtheyknewwanted was predestined for hiscurrent wayof in Easternhistory. Neither brother, then, Spring Mountain, whileNick majored economy before workingfor Cain on a chef,buthemajored inEnglishand Andy says. Initially, Andywantedtobe wines, andthat setourpalates, Iguess,” drankparents. “Theymostly European Andybothcreditthe moretheir worldly Chardonnay, aSyrah, andaViognier. Noir or declassified. There isalsoa going intotheirSonomaCoastPinot Scallop Shelf,andPomarium, therest make thethree estate blendscalled Ama, batches eachyear, whichare usedto The Pinot isvinifiedinabout30different which isnotmarketed internationally. they alsohaveasecondlabelcalled Cep, fruit purchased inAndersonValley, but production isestate wine,withalittle dedication theywant.Almostallthe which allowsthemtoworkwiththe between 5,000and6,000cases annually, Pommard), theyare ina“happystasis”of Calera, Swan,Mount-Eden, 828, and clonal selectionsofPinot Noir (667,777, which 35(14ha)are plantedtovarious With their52acres (21ha)ofvineyard, of to produce more than7,000cases annually. They are alsoclearthat theydonotwant over-encumbered bythesun,”Andysays. we can bemore expressive ofthesite,not aims: “Withmore freshness, more acidity, the wine.Allthree agree ontheirstylistic Andy Peay runsthebusinessandsells Peter Michael andHirsch inCalifornia. in Bordeaux andBurgundy, aswellfor Wong isaUCDavis graduate whoworked Nick Peay, wholooksafterthevineyards. Wong. SheismarriedtoAndy’s brother, by AndyPeay’s sister-in-law, Vanessa Nick, aloquaciousintellectual,and The wineshavealwaysbeenmade www.worldoffinewine.com orcall+44020 7406 6790. For information further and to subscribe to includes access to thecomplete digitalarchive, stretching backover 15years. interviews, andcomprehensive international auctionresults. Asubscription wines intheirhistorical andcultural context, alongwithnews, reviews, Every issue ofThe World ofFine Wine features coverage oftheworld’s finest or circulated withoutthisstatement. This from article The World of Fine Wine may notbesold,altered inany way,

land. Someappletrees stillstandthere. the Scandinavian settlers whofirst farmed this orchard planted by thePetersons andOhlsons, “Pomarium” honors the130-year-old apple notions. The palate isvelvety andtotally resonant. of blood-orange flicker alongside dried rose-petal to therelative onthepalate, buthighlights heft morello cherrytakes over. The cherryalsoclings cloudscentedearthy withbothamarena and Smoke andpeatappearonthenose,before an Sonoma Coast 2014 Peay Estate Pomarium Pinot Noir Pomo Indians,thenatives ofCalifornia. ofthispart beyond thefinish. “Ama” meansthelandof while super-fine tannins extend theirhold well has grip. Succulent cherryresides atthecore, of licorice. The body isfuller, more concentrated, and rhubarb, alongwithalacticedge andahint of tar. There are alternating notionsofpotpourri The noseopenswithsmoke, peat,andasuspicion Sonoma Coast 2016 Peay Estate AmaPinot Noir scribble ofmy note reads “translucent andpure.” is snappy, delicate, fresh, andvivid.The last The slenderpalate brimswithred-fruited tartness, beforelift morphinginto rose petalandcranberry. An initialwhiffofwild raspberry shows gorgeous Sonoma Coast 2016 Peay Estate Pinot Noir their Chardonnay, may beanechoofthatbotrytis. that thetangerine notes onthiswine,atypical for 25 percent new barrels. AndyPeay reckons malolactic fermentation, andwas aged in wine was fermented withnative yeast, completed with ashudder. “We declassified somuch.” The the botrytiswas sensational,” heremembers potential alcohol], thebuncheswere tight,and in three days. The grapes were at19°Brix[11.2% “apocalyptic vintage,” with“9in[23cm]ofrain notions oftangerine. AndyPeay callsthisan palate hasalovely texture, andthefinishadds air, becomes really zesty The andlifted. creamy edge butisbrightwithlemonthat,alittle The hazelnutty smoke onthenosehasalactic Sonoma Coast 2011 Peay Estate Chardonnay drained vineyard soils. formations) thatconstitute theloamy, well- sediments atop theMesozoic Franciscan bedrock the younger Goldridge series(thePliocene refers “Scallop Shelf” seabedwithin to uplifted grace are inherent, lastingandtouching. Wow. web oftannins,very fineandbright. Purity and slender butprofound, structured around afine from theget-go. This issinuousandslight, Aromatically, thisisastandoutthatbeguiles leaves, peony petal,andbloodorange peel. The noseisacaress ofgentle cherry, Darjeeling Sonoma Coast 2015 Peay Estate ScallopShelfPinot Noir TASTING NOTES THE WORLD OFFINEWINE|ISSUE 67 |2020 | The World ofFine Wine, please visit (12.7% ABV) (13% ABV) (13.6% ABV)

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