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Freeman entrance (left); Bob Cabral, winemaker at Williams Selyem The Extreme Sonoma Coast California’s New Hope for Great BY ed mccarthy

alifornia, with Napa Valley leading the way, has done a New York restaurant, was amazed with its quality and decided to visit Littorai’s great job in its relatively short history producing some winery; and thirdly, I had just tasted a Cworld-class Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based sample of another previously unknown blends. But until recently, I have not generally seen the same Pinot Noir, a 2006 Willowbrook Cellars high quality for Pinot Noir. (made from Marin County grapes, along the coast just south of Sonoma), and was astounded by how much I liked In addition to the fact that the grape However, until I discovered the Pinots the wine. These two Pinot Noirs had is an exceedingly difficult variety to of the Extreme Sonoma Coast, I have delicacy, balance, fragrance and finesse, work with, California has experienced never tasted a Pinot Noir outside of words I had seldom used to describe two problems with its Pinot Noirs: Burgundy that I thought was really out- California Pinot Noirs. Much of it has been grown in climates standing —or in the modern parlance, a too warm for the variety, and winemak- 95 to 100 point wine. To Taste is to Believe ers have been guilty of producing Pinot Two years ago, I traveled to the Suffice it to say that this momentous Noirs that are too ripe, too big and too Sonoma Coast explicitly to taste Pinot trip changed my entire perspective. I high in alcohol for this delicate variety. Noirs. Three situations prompted my discovered that Pinot Noirs in the Pinot Noir is not about power; it’s about journey: I had been reading about style that I enjoyed were being made subtlety and finesse. the great 2007 vintage in Sonoma, from grapes grown primarily along the Most—even the Pinot Noir purists particularly for Pinot Noirs, and I westernmost part of the Sonoma Coast, who maintain that great Pinot Noir decided to visit old friends, such as about two to twelve miles inland. That wines hail exclusively from its original Bob Cabral, winemaker at Williams area is now being referred to as the West home, Burgundy, France—will concede Selyem, and Don Hartford, who helms Sonoma Coast by many of the vintners that California can make some good Pi- Hartford Court (aka Hartford Family (yet others, including myself, prefer the not Noirs from Sonoma’s Russian River Wines), to taste through their 2007 term “Extreme Coast”) to distinguish it Valley, Santa Barbara, Carneros and Pinot Noirs; secondly, I had recently from the huge area that makes up the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. discovered a Littorai Pinot Noir in a Sonoma Coast AVA. sonomacoast

The Sonoma Coast AVA is an um- brella appellation that includes roughly the entire western half of Sonoma The cool, windy climate of the County, from the Mendocino border in the north to Marin County, Carneros, west sonoma coast creates a and San Pablo Bay in the south (includ- ing the prestigious Russian River Valley terroir that lends itself well region). This means that any producer to beautiful pinot noir. making a Pinot Noir within this huge territory, even, say, 40 miles from the Pa- cific Coast, can label his wine “Sonoma Coast.” The handful of producers (most lands Vineyard). The coastal Pinot Noirs A Transforming Landscape of them small, family-owned opera- were made in a more elegant, delicately Meeting owner/winemaker Ted Lemon tions) making Pinot Noirs close to the fruity style. They generally were lighter of Littorai for the first time turned out coast began calling their area the West in color and body than Russian River to be an education in Pinot Noir for Sonoma Coast. Valley Pinots. This was confirmed for me me. Again, my clear favorite wine was The cool, windy climate of this area two years ago, when I tasted 2007 Wil- Littorai’s 2007 Hirsch Vineyard, from creates an entirely different terroir. As I liams Selyem Pinot Noirs with current the True Coast. I never got to meet was driving towards the Pacific Coast in winemaker Bob Cabral. winemaker Joe Otos of Willowbrook the spring of 2009, I noticed a precipi- Cellars, but I did speak to him on the tous drop in temperature (about 15°F in phone, and he sent me a few samples fifteen minutes) by the time I reached of other 2006s (Willowbrook’s first the coast, accompanied by strong winds. vintage). One, the 2006 Willowbrook Most West Coast are located sonoma county Cellars DuNah Vineyard from the True on the hillsides high up in the Sonoma Coast, was outstanding. Mountains to catch the sun and avoid Growing season temperatures along all-day coastal fog, and the Petaluma Alexander Valley the West Sonoma Coast are almost as Gap, a 15-mile virtual wind tunnel, al- low as possible for grapes to ripen, av- lows ocean breezes to whip through Dry Creek Valley Knights Valley eraging in the low 70s in the daytime, which brings cool winds in mid-after- and dropping to the 40s at night, both noon that follow protective morning fog Sonoma Coast because of the effect of cool winds. The (so that vineyards don’t suffer too much growing season is extremely long; most from summer heat)—even if all of them Northern Sonoma of the grapes are harvested from late are not strictly coastal vineyards. October to early November (really late Syrah, and — Chalk Hill for California). Vineyards have thin, also cool-climate-loving varieties—grow shallow, very rocky soil—an asset for Russian in this part of Sonoma, but Pinot Noir is River Valley growing Pinot. Growers must contend the star. Up until my discovery of West with cold spring seasons, along with Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs, I had been Green very small crops and the threat of au- Valley somewhat of a fan of the more-estab- tumn rains, and the stressed vines pro- lished Pinot Noirs of the Russian River duce small, concentrated grapes, which Bennett Valley Valley. For example, I have been visit- result in wines of greater complexity. ing and tasting Williams Selyem Pinot Consequently, West Sonoma Coast Pi- Sonoma Mountain Noirs at the winery in the RRV since the nots sometimes need two or three years’ early 1990s, when co-founder/winemaker longer bottle aging than other Califor- Carneros Burt Williams was still there. I had no- nia Pinot Noirs, and they also tend to ticed even then that I usually preferred age longer. Sonoma Valley his Pinot Noirs from the Coast (Summa Thirty years ago, the main activity Vineyard, Hirsch Vineyard and Coast- along the hillsides of the West Sonoma sonomacoast

True Coast Pinot Noirs Coast was sheep grazing. The climate many with their own wineries, and an- 21 was considered just too inhospitable for other 60 or more wineries outside the growing grapes. Remember, vineyards in coast source their grapes here. California were primarily in warm grow- Last year, I met Jasmine Hirsch, In the order of tasting, here are ing areas at that time. In 1977, Daniel sales and marketing director of Hirsch the 21 True Coast Pinot Noirs we and Marion Schoenfeld planted Wild Vineyards and daughter of David Hirsch. tasted; prices are approximate Hog Vineyard five miles in from the Pa- I proposed conducting a West Sonoma retail, per bottle: cific, east of the town of Fort Ross. They Coast Pinot Noir tasting in New York ● 2009 Hirsch Vineyards, have been making wines since 1977 and in 2011, and Jasmine agreed to help “The Bohan Dillon” ($30) were certified organic in 1981— special- me gather samples from coast producers, izing in Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. The most of whom she knew personally. In ● 2009 Red Car, Sonoma Coast ($30) Schoenfelds opened their own winery early March of this year, the Wine Me- ● 2009 Peay Vineyards, in 1990. Wild Hog makes about 1,000 dia Guild, a group of New York-based Pomarium Estate ($52) cases of Pinot Noir annually. wine writers, hosted a luncheon that ● 2009 Failla, Hirsch Vineyard ($65) Another who helped put the West included 21 West Sonoma Coast Pi- ● 2009 Lioco, Hirsch Vineyard ($60) Sonoma Coast on the map has been not Noirs from 17 of the best wineries David Hirsch. He planted his own vine- making Pinot Noirs on there. I tried to ● 2008 Red Car, Platt Vineyard “Dreamland”($60) yards in 1980 on a mountain range a obtain Pinots from only the exceptional few miles from the Pacific and Fort Ross. 2007 vintage, but this proved impos- ● 2008 Freeman Vineyard, Back then, Hirsch was just a grape grow- sible because of the limited availability Sonoma Coast ($40) er, supplying some of the top Russian of the vintage now, and so we included ● 2008 Pfendler Vineyards, River wineries such as Williams Selyem five 2009s and four 2008s along with Sonoma Coast ($45) and Littorai. In 2002, Hirsch founded twelve 2007s. In retrospect I’m happy ● 2008 Cobb Wines, Coastland his own winery, and so now you can buy we included the other vintages; 2009 Vineyard ($78) Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir. Its new seems to be another great vintage for Pi- ● 2007 Freestone Vineyard, Sonoma winemaker is Ross Cobb, who also has not Noir on the West Sonoma Coast. In Coast ($40) his own family winery. contrast to the ’07 and ’09, 2008 seemed ● 2007 Flowers Winery, In the late 1980s, Flowers Vineyard to be of average quality, with one Frances Thompson Vineyard ($65) and Winery came to the West Sonoma notable exception. ● 2007 Evening Land, Coast, followed by the Cobb family, Occidental Ridge Vineyard ($45) with its renowned Coastlands Vineyard. Getting to Know Pinot ● 2007 Williams Selyem, Coastlands also started as grape growers Our three guest speakers from the Coast Hirsch Vineyard ($120) but now make their own wine from its were Ross Cobb of Cobb Wines, the vineyard. Peay Vineyards arrived later, son of David Cobb (founder of Coast- ● 2007 Wild Hog Vineyard, Estate, Sonoma Coast ($30) and the rush was on. Today, about 50 land Vineyard); Jason Jardine, wine- growers have vineyards on the coast, maker of Flowers Winery; and Jasmine ● 2007 B. Kosuge, Hirsch Vineyard Hirsch. For most of the writers, these ($50) ● The vineyards at Flowers Winery wines—with the exception of the bet- 2007 Flowers Winery, Camp ter-known names such as Flowers, Hart- Meeting Ridge Vineyard ($68) ford Court and Williams Selyem—were ● 2007 Hirsch Vineyards, an introduction to West Sonoma Coast “San Andreas” ($60) Pinot Noirs. ● 2007 Drew Family Estate, As I expected, the tasting was a rev- McDougall Vineyard ($45) elation for most of the group, who had ● 2007 Cobb Wines, come to expect fuller-bodied, heavier Emmaline Vineyard ($68) Pinot Noirs from California. I purposely ● 2007 Littorai, The Haven Vineyard excluded a few expensive Pinot Noirs, ($75) such as Kistler, Aubert and Marcassin ● 2007 Hartford Family Winery, (the last two retail for $200 and up per Far Coast Vineyard ($70) bottle) because of their price and their sonomacoast

Today, about 50 growers have vineyards on the coast, many with their own wineries, and another 60 or more wineries outside the coast source their grapes here.

scarcity. Retail prices for the wines The one 2008 which shined was ranged from $30 to $78 for all but one Cobb’s Coastland Vineyard. Unlike the (William Selyem’s Hirsch Vineyard other 2008s, Coastland was substantial was $120). and vibrant, with a potential for aging. Very few of the above wines Ross Cobb, a young man barely 40, is were less than good; many were winemaker of his own Cobb Wines, exceptional. What surprised me is which includes his family Coastlands that two of my favorites are among Vineyard and other vineyards. Ross the least expensive: Hirsch Vineyards had previously worked as assistant “the Bohan Dillon” 2009 and Wild winemaker/oenologist at Williams Hog Estate 2007, both retailing Selyem and as winemaker at Flowers for $30. Winery. He is now also the winemaker Hirsch’s ’09 “the Bohan Dillon,” at Hirsch Vineyards. made from younger vines of Hirsch The 2007 West Sonoma Coast Vineyard and purchased grapes from Pinot Noirs lived up to the reputa- neighboring vineyards, is exuberant, tion of the vintage. All of the wines precocious and charming; totally ranged from very good to superb. In delicious right now, and an indication addition to the “Best Buy” Wild Hog of the promise of the 2009 vintage. Estate Vineyard I mentioned earlier, The 2007 Wild Hog Estate was the Williams Selyem Hirsch Vineyard most delightful 2007 Pinot Noir to stood out for its depth and potential drink now. The other 2009 Pinot longevity; Flowers Camp Meeting Noir that I admired was Failla’s Ridge Vineyard, typically its best Pi- Hirsch Vineyard. not Noir, was excellent, an exciting

Littorai Wines in western Sonoma County; Littorai winemakers Ted and Heidi Lemon Why West is Best: One Man’s Journey to West Sonoma Coast By Kristen Bieler wine with a brilliant future; Hirsch Vineyards “San Andreas,” its flagship arroll Kemp was a movie producer wine, showed depth and complexity; when he and his business partner, winemaker-owner Ted Lemon’s Litto- CMark Estrin, made 50 cases of rai The Haven Vineyard was smashing. wine in his L.A. garage back in 2000. Many critics consider Ted Lemon the Produced from a single ton of grapes, premier winemaker of Pinot Noir in and named Red Car in tribute to the red the U.S., and I will not dispute that. electric trolley cars that ran throughout Hartford Family Winery’s Far Coast Los Angeles until the early 1960s, the Vineyard, near Annapolis in the north, duo’s small-batch bottlings soon earned needs time; it will be long-lived, and is some impressively high scores and started destined to be one of Hartford Court’s greatest wines. getting attention. The West Sonoma Coast “is truly The secret obviously wasn’t in a cool climate viticulture, literally on the The Burgundy Alternative superior facility or even edge—grapes struggle to ripen here, on My favorite Pinot Noir of the tast- winemaker expertise (Kemp and Estrin had the margin of viability,” says Kemp, an ing was Cobb Wines’ 2007 Emmaline never made wine before). It was, Kemp was outspoken member of the West Sonoma Vineyard. This is my style of Pinot convinced, the source of his grapes—the Coast Vintners (see box). “Our Platt Noir: very aromatic, delicately fla- West Sonoma Coast. “Climate is the Vineyard is so marginal that we have yet vored and complex. By the way, the single most influential factor determining to get even one ton per acre from it. But ’07 Emmaline contains only 12.9% the potential quality of fruit and the West the long, cool and dry growing season alcohol; the ’06 Cobb Emmaline has Sonoma Coast climate is ideal: cool allows grapes to ripen slowly. It gives us 12.8%. When is the last time you’ve and temperate, with a long, cool and dry the ability to develop flavor without high seen a California wine with less than growing season,” he says. sugar.” Kemp does his part—his winery is 13% alcohol? Kemp soon quit his job and moved his 100% gravity flow, he uses entirely native Three other West Sonoma Coast family north in 2004 where he purchased yeasts for fermentation, works only with Pinot Noirs that I’ve tasted previously land atop a coastal mountain range on the heritage clones and doesn’t think his leaf rival Cobb’s 2007 Emmaline Vineyard West Sonoma Coast. The 2009 vintage is canopies (“When you restrain the fruit in greatness. Littorai’s 2007 Hirsch Red Car’s first full from the estate character, you allow other complexities Vineyard, which I tasted at the win- vineyard, and today Red Car has three to emerge,” he says)—but he is a true ery in 2009 but which was not avail- able for our tasting, is one of them; tiers in its portfolio: Boxcar, Trolley and a believer in the West Sonoma Coast as a this monumental, complex wine is Reserve tier of single-vineyard wines. “game changer” for California Pinot Noir. Littorai’s standout 2007, in my opin- ion. Another is Willowbrook Cellars’ 2006 DuNah Vineyard, made in the WEST Sonoma Coast Vintners delicate style of a True Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. A pleasant note is that all Willowbrook Cellars Pinot Noirs, still West Sonoma Coast Vintners is a Hirsch Vineyards, LIOCO, Littorai Wines, little-known, are outstanding values. brand-new association of wineries and Martinelli Winery, Patz & Hall Wine The third is Hirsch Vineyards 2007 growers on the coastline of Sonoma Company, Peay Vineyards, Ramey Wine Estate Block 7 Pinot Noir; it’s such a County, that is getting more active in Cellars, Red Car Wine Company, Small thrilling wine to taste, clearly for me advocating the distinctiveness of its Vines and Whetstone Wine Cellars. Hirsch’s best Pinot Noir. region (www.westsonomacoast.com). The first weekend in August, the West For lovers of Pinot Noir, West Current members of the WSCV Sonoma Coast Vintners will host the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs are wines are: Benovia Winery, Benziger Family WOW (West of West) Wine Festival (www. to seek out. I urge you to try some of Winery, Boheme Wines, Ceritas Wines, westofwestwine.com) to draw attention to the wines I’ve mentioned in this col- Chasseur Wines, Cobb Wines, Evening the region and its wines. Held one hour umn. For my palate, they are the best Land Vineyards, FAILLA Wines, Flowers north of San Francisco in the coastal Pinot Noir wines being made outside Vineyard & Winery, Fort Ross Vineyard hamlet of Occidental, the festival will of Burgundy today. n & Winery, Freeman Vineyard & Winery, showcase 30 producers including many Freestone Vineyards, Hawk Hill Vineyard, of the region’s stars.