SONOMA CALIFORNIA MORE RURAL AND less glitzy than Pablo Bay. In summer, fog hangs Napa, Sonoma is also bigger and about until the morning sun Sonoma’s most more diverse, and its 18 American blows it off; then later, mid- Viticultural Areas (AVAs) more afternoon wind and nightly fog confusing. They overlap and some bring daily temperature swings of encompass several smaller ones, up to 10°C. The result is slower but all have at least a few top- ripening and a long growing exciting AVAs quality wines and young season, even into November. winemakers exploring new grapes The wind helps to reduce yields Larger and more diverse than its California neighbour Napa, Sonoma contains and winemaking ideas. Wines and creates smaller berries with from some newer AVAs such as thicker skins, so wines have both 18 different AVAs. From sprawling Sonoma Valley to small Fort Ross-Seaview Fog over the Cline Family Fountaingrove District are hard to acidity and structure, with and hidden gems such as Rockpile, Elin McCoy highlights the most exciting Cellars Catapult Ranch come by, which is why my picks intense aromas and flavours yet winemaking regions here and flags up the producer names you need to know Vineyard, Petaluma Gap below focus on those whose wines lower alcohol levels. About 75 % of are available in the UK. the grapes planted here are cool-climate-loving Pinot Noir; Petaluma Gap the rest are split between Wind is the force behind Chardonnay and Syrah and a tiny Sonoma’s most recent AVA, smattering of other varieties. approved in 2017. Much of this The region has a 150-year pastoral valley in southern tradition of grape-growing and Sonoma County lies inside the remains a region of growers. huge Sonoma Coast AVA, but There are 80 vineyards and vintners insist the sub-zone 1,620ha planted, but only nine deserves its own appellation wineries. Most vineyards are because of the ways that the wind small, though Jackson Family makes the wines unique. The Wines has moved in. A handful boundaries are contoured by have been made famous by the where wind maintains a speed of 50 or so wineries outside the AVA at least 13km an hour. that buy Petaluma Gap grapes; The Gap refers to a 24km trendsetter Arnot-Roberts has opening in the coastal hills that made the best vineyards, Gap’s acts as a wind tunnel through Crown and Griffin’s Lair, famous. which cool breezes and chilly fog NAMES TO KNOW: Adobe Road, rush in from the Pacific and south Cline Cellars, Keller Estate, to the town of Petaluma and San Sangiocomo ➢ ‘Wind is the force behind Sonoma’s most recent AVA, Petaluma Gap... an opening in the coastal hills that acts as a wind tunnel’ Arnot-Roberts, Clary Wind Gap, Gap’s Crown Ranch Syrah, Petaluma Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap Gap 2016 93 2014 92 £55 Roberson £52 Roberson The coolest Syrah vineyard A delicate, lushly aromatic in California, Clary Ranch Pinot from one of the top is in the heart of the vineyards in the Petaluma Petaluma Gap, planted on Gap, made with 100% a hillside near Tomales whole clusters. It’s bright Bay. This 2016 vintage is and lifted, with spicy restrained but powerful, cranberry flavours, and showing bright floral and fresh herb lightly oaked. The winery has recently aromas along with dark-toned fruit. been sold, so grab this vintage while Drink 2019-2028 Alcohol 12% you can. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 12% Cline Megan Photograph: 24 | August 2019 • DECANTER DECANTER • August 2019 | 25 CALIFORNIA Russian River Valley Moon Mountain District But tucked away on the cooler lower ‘Thin soils Bob Cabral, the former winemaker at Williams When screenwriter Robert Kamen showed me hillsides, you’ll find stellar Chardonnay and Selyem, once told me that when God invented around his biodynamic Kamen Estate vineyard Pinot Noir, originally planted in the 1950s by and altitude Pinot Noir, he put his thumb on the Russian on Moon Mountain on a quad bike, he wore Ambassador James Zellerbach when he River Valley. This AVA, established in 1983, is flipflops. Given the rough terrain of broken founded Hanzell Vineyards. define the ground zero for the rise of California Pinot volcanic rocks, I was happy to be in hiking NAMES TO KNOW: Amapola Creek, Hanna, Noir to cult status. Most of its 94 wineries shoes. The spectacular views were to die for. Hanzell, Kamen Estate, Sixteen600 wines, make at least one bottling, and many make This 7,150ha AVA, with about 610ha of half a dozen or more, labelled with vineyard planted vines, was established in 2013. It’s on DuMol, Montecillo Vineyards Cabernet producing names. But the region is also known for its the eastern side of Sonoma Valley, on the Sauvignon, Moon Mountain 2014 92 lush, creamy-textured, lemony Chardonnays. slopes of the southern Mayacamas Mountains, £99.99 AG Wines ageworthy Low-lying and forested, its roads lined with whose ridgeline divides Sonoma and Napa. Although DuMol is located in the Russian redwoods and nearly 5,700ha of mostly The AVA is composed of rugged hillside River Valley and better known for Pinot reds with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Russian River vineyards, some incredibly steep and remote, Noir, the winery buys grapes from this remains one of the most important AVAs in Above: Williams highlight the differences in its five sub-zones. at elevations from 120m to 670m. They face dry-farmed vineyard planted in the late powerful Sonoma. Its boundaries have been disputed Selyem winery in the The coldest, foggiest one, Green Valley, has its southwest, soaking up warm, intense 1960s. This is a big, deep and mineral- and expanded, a reflection of the price Russian River Valley own AVA producing superb sparkling wines afternoon sun and wind from the Pacific, and inflected 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with and intense premium conferred by its name on the label. with edgy acidity. many are farmed organically with the help of overtones of cherries and liquorice, plus The river of the same name snakes through A handful of adventurous 1970s pioneers, revolutionary viticulturalist Phil Coturri. chewy tannins from 20 months in oak. flavours’ the region and pulls in dense fog that keeps such as Joseph Swan and Joe Rochioli, showed Thin soils and altitude define the wines, Drink 2021-2030 Alc 14.5% temperatures cool and therefore acidity in the that Russian River could make great Pinots, producing smaller, thick-skinned grapes that grapes, although it’s not as cool as the coast. and their success attracted a second wave, make old-school ageworthy reds with Louis M Martini, Monte Rosso The river’s fog line largely defined the AVA’s such as Merry Edwards (whose winery was powerful, intense flavours. The soil is volcanic Vineyard, Moon Mountain 2013 88 original boundaries, and it is one key to the recently purchased by Roederer), in the 1990s. basalt and ash, sometimes with deposits of £80.50 The Vinorium character of the wines, along with a wide Generally the Pinots are darker in style, clay. The grapes are mostly red Bordeaux Monte Rosso, a historic vineyard made swing in daily temperatures, plus the with plump, ripe plum fruit, a trademark cola varieties and Zinfandel. Cabernet Sauvignon famous by Louis M Martini, is now owned Goldridge soil, a sandy loam. element, and a voluptuous rather than silky produces big, rich, complex wines reminiscent by E&J Gallo. This bold, almost over-the- But Russian River has more diverse texture. Chardonnays, except those from of Napa mountain Cabs from Mount Veeder. top 100% Cabernet Sauvignon has huge microclimates and soils than people realise. Green Valley, are lush and velvety. But times Some of the AVA’s most unique wines come intensity and blackberry richness with There are, for example, a number of old are changing, and more Russian River Valley from Monte Rosso, one of California’s iconic hints of smoke and liquorice from the Below: Hanna Winery’s Zinfandel vineyards and the AVA recently winemakers are aiming to be on trend with old vineyards with red, iron-rich volcanic soils 27 months it spent in oak. Drink vineyards at Bismark launched a ‘neighbourhoods’ initiative to lighter, more food-friendly styles. that was originally planted in the 1880s. 2020-2028 Alc 15.5% ➢ Mountain Ranch NAMES TO KNOW: Carlisle, Croix Estate, DuMol, Dutton-Goldfield, Ramey Cellars, Ryme, Williams Selyem MENDOCINO COUNTY Sonoma County N AVAs Joseph Swan, Cuvee de Trois Pinot Cloverdale 1 Petaluma Gap Noir, Russian River Valley 2014 92 Russian River 2 Russian River Valley 3 Moon Mountain District £32.21-£40 Berry Bros & Rudd, Annapolis Dry Creek 4 Sonoma Valley Christopher Keiller, Highbury Vintners, 5 8 5 West Sonoma Coast 6 6 Dry Creek Valley Vin Cognito 7 Fort Ross-Seaview Pure and spicy, with a silky texture, Healdsburg 8 Knights Valley SONOMA fine-grained tannins from 10 months Highway 17 Highway 101 COUNTY Other NAPA VALLEYAVAs in oak and a lush core of cherry fruit. CALIFORNIA This blend of several vineyards Pacific Russian 2 Santa shows the Burgundian side of RRV River Rosa Ocean Pinots. Drink 2019-2028 Alc 14.3% Occidental 4 0 10 20 5 Sebastopol 3 kilometres Bodega Williams Selyem, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2015 90 Highway 101 Highway 99 Sonoma Highway 99W NEVADA 1 £78.33 (ib)-£97.50 Christopher Keiller, Nevada NAPA VALLEY City Corking Wines Petaluma This is a textbook example of Russian Pacific Ocean CALIFORNIA 4 Santa Sacramento River Valley Pinot. The blend, which SONOMA Rosa Highway 101 COUNTY Napa MARIN spends 11 months in oak, sings with Vallejo COUNTY cherryish fruit and spice notes.