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2009 Pinot Noir Weir Vineyard Yorkvill Highlands

$42

This vineyard is located in a cool pocket amongst the redwoods in the Yorkville Highlands AVA. The vineyard is on a steep southeastern slope at an elevation of approximately 850 feet. The Weir Vineyard is approximately 15 acres of vineyard planted to some of the more rare Pinot Noir clone selections seen today in California. Three ‘heirloom’ clones were combined: a Swiss clone (2A), a Domain Romanee Conti selection and a Rochioli field selection.

Bill Weir, the owner is known as somewhat of a Burgundy fanatic and has strived to produce old world character in his north coast vineyard. This site brings forth an elevated fruit quality that is an absolute pleasure to work with.

The aromas consist of spice, sweet black cherries, exotic plums and mushrooms with concentrated floral notes. The flavors are complex and round with delicious mouth watering cherry fruits and a wonderful acidity on the finish with varietal undertones of rose petals, earth and a hint of minerality.

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91 points IWC (Josh Reynolds)
93-95 points Pinot File

2009 Pinot Noir Perli Vineyard – Murder Ridge Block Mendocino Ridge

$40

We’ve been buying Syrah grapes from the Perli Vineyard since 2006 from the very exciting Mendocino Ridge AVA. In 2009 I spoke with the owner, Steve Alden about getting some Pinot Noir from another, newer vineyard block on a different part of their 1,000 acre property. Given the great qualities that the Syrah – Potato Patch block produced, I was naturally inclined. After one look at the steep, thin timber ridge top soil laden with quartz vineyard, 2,000 ft. high and 10 miles from the ocean, I was ready to give it a try.

Well, now just over two years since we pressed the 2009 Perli Pinot into tank, the wine is just being released. The characters that I get out of the glass are immediately provocative. A truly eyebrow raising testimony to what we in the industry call, a ‘single vineyard expression.’ The wine is powerful but at the same time, totally under control with a certain lightness of being. The nose is very exotic and unique to the Pinot world. The complexity is enormous. This is what I call a very earthly pinot noir with the deepest red fruits you can imagine. Then, after one sip, it takes a wild turn with impressive firm tannins and fresh acidity with intense minerality.

For those of you that like to cellar the wine, make no mistake this wine will age a very long time. For those of you not patient enough to lay it down, don’t worry, because this wine is a joy to try now or watch what it will reveal with a few years of bottle elevage.

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2009 Pinot Noir Valenti Vineyard

$40

The Valenti Vineyard is located on the top of Greenwood Ridge in the Mendocino Ridge AVA, 6 miles from the ocean and 1,600 feet above sea level on a north-east facing slope that overlooks the Anderson Valley to the East. This is a challenging site with daily maritime winds resulting in very cool temperatures throughout the growing season. The cool winds during pollination, produces small clusters and berries providing great intensity. The marginally fertile topsoil overlays a deep profile of sandstone and shale which the roots can penetrate deeply to take up water and minerals enabling a condition for dry farming. Daytime temperatures are typically 7-10 degrees cooler than the Anderson Valley floor and the typical diurnal temperature range during the growing season is a 20 degree swing mostly in the low 70’s to low 50’s Fahrenheit. The harsh and cool natural conditions lends itself to naturally low yields resulting in correct acidity and lower sugar levels at harvest time.

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91 points Stephen Tanzer’s IWC
90 points Wine & Spirits,
90 points Wine Enthusiast

2009 Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch Vineyard

$47

This is a small seven-acre vineyard located in the ‘True Sonoma Coast’ in a highly coveted area known as the ‘golden triangle’. This vineyard, planted on a rocky outcropping, sits on a small bench approximately 935 feet elevation approximately 2.4 miles from the Pacific Ocean on a steep south slope. This 2009 vintage is our fifth release from this vineyard site and continues to impress. This is a pedigreed site with excellent farming and a strong commitment from the owners who give great care and attention to their land.

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92 points Stephen Tanzer’s IWC
92-95 points Pinot File

The concept of The Gatekeepers has always been about synergizing two excellent but markedly different sites from opposite sides of a single appellation. In this case, the appellation is the very exciting Mendocino Ridge AVA. Both vineyards qualify to be in the Mendocino Ridge as they are both ridge-top vineyards above the minimum 1,200 ft. requirement and are both less than 10 miles from the ocean. In other words both sites receive lots of wind and cool sunshine hours. As the fog typically sits at the 800ft level, any vineyards above that line receive more sunlight hours, yet those hours are cooler from the natural air conditioning of the fog. These two stellar vineyards include Manchester Ridge Vineyard and Perli Vineyard, both absolutely worthy of single vineyard designates but when they meet, they elevate each other in an undeniable marriage.

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90 points Stephen Tanzer’s IWC

The first Pinot is our Gatekeepers which is a deviation from the Central Coast Gatekeepers we’ve released in the past. The 2008 Gatekeepers is a North Coast version, with two vineyards on opposite sides of the Anderson Valley AVA. This blend consists of 85% Balo Vineyard (previously a component of the 2006 and 2007 Fog Eater) and 15% Weir Vineyard which, after blending in the cellar, was an undeniable match. The Balo’s intense fruit flavors of black cherry, raspberry and floral notes complimented by just the right amount of spice and earth from the Weir Vineyard contributes elevated complexity and roundness to the blend. Dark cherry red. Medium-full bodied. Inticing aromas of dark red rose petals and exotic perfume, toast, figs, cranberry and cedar with a hint of dark orange rind. The fruit is complex and seductive with earth, spice, cherry and forest floor; the tannins are smooth with balanced fruit and acid.

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This inaugural wine is from our latest and very exciting vineyard source known as Morning Dew Vineyard/Anderson Valley AVA. A few years ago I met with the venerable Burt Williams (Williams Selyem founding partner) while scouting vineyard sources. Burt first planted his 12 acre vineyard in the Anderson Valley AVA in 2001 to some of the best field selections around. He chose to plant his first vineyard on a steep hillside in the deep end of Philo in an area that gets plenty of wind and fog on a south exposure at approximately 800 ft in elevation. During my years of getting acquainted with the vineyard and doing everything I could to secure a contract; I received a call from Burt in 2009 saying that there was some fruit available. To put it clearly, I jumped. Fast forward to a private barrel tasting of his first Morning Dew vintage and I was immediately blown away with the structure and audacity of his wine. From that day forward I was committed to the fruit and believe this is one of the premier vineyard sites in Anderson Valley. An eye opening red wine with lifted aromatics and tannin structure. The nose is full of red fruits and floral notes consisting of pomegranates, cranberries, freshly crushed cherries, wild raspberries and quince. The finish is fresh and lively with a firm tannin and acid structure that ensures longevity. This wine chants, ‘I am Pinot Noir’.
*This would be a great wine for a Thanksgiving dinner

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93 points Stephen Tanzer’s IWC

This Sonoma Coast vineyard is a small 7 acre vineyard planted two clones of Pinot Noir in 1998 with the help of Dan Goldfield who also purchases fruit from this vineyard. This vineyard is one which is considered a pretty extreme site 935 feet high and 3.4 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The last two vintages of this wine has helped launch us in the top 100 from Wine and Spirits magazine with the 2007 on the top of all Pinot Noirs chosen.

This 2008 vintage is Drew’s fourth vintage working with the fruit, and with each passing vintage the wine’s character seems to get more and more complex and nuanced. This particular vintage appears to give more spicy aromatics on the nose but with a lovely floral profusion. The texture of the wine is impressive with somewhat rustic tannins that stand up on the palate with a cascading flush of fruit on the backend as it pushes through to the finish. There is no doubt that this is a unique vineyard that warrants special attention. These special qualities are a function of the wonderful combination of not only soil and climate but also of the great care, attention and passion that goes into caring for the grapes.

This special vineyard lies on the South East corner of the Santa Rita Hills just north of Santa Barbara. This is a hillside vineyard above the Santa Ynez River that faces North. The dominate soil series present are limestone, sedimentary soils and a marine layer of sandy loam. Some might say that this dynamic and complex Pinot Noir offers excitement, tension and energy.

When one speaks of tension in a wine they often refer to the wine as being like a spring that uncoils as it hits the palate and then prances around with boldness and a certain untamed quality sort of akin to a woolly and wild character. The energy comes from the brightness and balanced acidity that co-mingles wonderfully with the balanced red and blue fruits that have a freshness of a spring rose garden. The finish to this wine has a mouthwatering quality that begs for more with an enticing floral sweetness that is seductively flavorful. Since my first vintage from this vineyard in 2002 I have to say that right now this is my favorite wine from this site. I believe the grapes have really hit their stride in terms of showing pedigree of site, or as the French would say, ‘terroir’.

The Valenti Vineyard is one of my favorite sites in the Mendocino Ridge AVA. This 2008 release marks its debut as a single vineyard wine. The most remarkable attribute to this vineyard, which no doubt is a tribute to its soil and climate or ‘terroir’, is its ability to create a wine of not only great depth but one that has great finesse. This exceptional ridge top vineyard overlooking Anderson Valley consistently produces naturally low yields, no thinning needed here, and coupled with deep marginal soils, produces a wine with all the intensity, minerality and interest that I seek.

The color has a dark cherry pit twinge with aromas of dark cherries, pomegranates, earth, fig and violets. The flavors are fresh and savory with dark red fruits, blackberry, plum and black cherry with bright acidity culminating in a finish that is consistent with the aroma, with a slight perfumed touch towards the end. This is a vin de garde wine (cellaring will reward) that has incredible intensity with the accompanying backbone of structure. Decant when young or let breath for at least one hour. Pairing: Roasted herb encrusted game.

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The 2008 Fog- Eater is 60% Monument Tree Vineyard and 40% Henneburg Vineyard. The Monument Tree Vineyard is an organic and very near dry farmed vineyard on a North East facing hillside. It produces extravagant long lasting fruit not only on the vine, due to long hang time and cool afternoon temperatures, but also on the palate. The Henneburg is on an opposite facing hillside vineyard with an aspect that is more south west facing and produces wines with more heady fruit tones and spicy earth.

On the nose, this wine has dark wild raspberry fruits, blood red plums, fresh earth and wild flowers. On the palate, the wine oozes fresh fruit, earth, floral tones and a mineral edge. A bit austere now, but one that will continue to shed some layers as the bouquet unravels for years to come. Decant when young or let breath for at least one hour. Pairing: Roast duck or quail with wild mushroom polenta, drizzled with Pinot Noir reduction sauce.

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This vineyard is situated on the southeastern border of Anderson Valley in a cool pocket amongst the redwoods. This stunning vineyard is located on a steep southeastern slope at an elevation of approximately 850 feet. The soils consist of a relatively light orange shale and clay. The Weir Vineyard is approximately 15 acres of vineyard planted to some of the more rare Pinot Noir clone selections seen today in California. The grapes used from this vineyard in 2007 were carefully chosen. Four ‘heirloom’ clones were combined; A Swiss clone (2A), Pommard clone #4, a Domain Romanee Conti selection and one from the Rochioli River Block selection that was planted for Burt Williams from Williams-Seylem in 1992.

Bill Weir, the owner, is known as somewhat of a Burgundy fanatic and has strived to produce old world character in his north coast vineyard. This site brings forth an elevated fruit quality that is an absolute pleasure to work with. We look forward to many vintages to come from this pedigreed site.

Dark, cherry red color. Medium full bodied. Scents of spice, sweet black cherries and exotic plums with concentrated floral notes and a nice integration of oak. The palate is complex and round with delicious mouth watering cherry fruits and a wonderful acidity on the finish with varietal undertones of rose petals with a hint of minerality.

92 points Wine Spectator,
90 points Stephen Tanzer’s IWC,
92 points Wine & Spirits

Download the full winemaking and tasting notes.

During the spring of 2007, Rich Savoy asked if I’d like to purchase some fruit from his vineyard. After meeting with him and walking through his vineyard, it quickly became evident to me that he was extremely passionate about his vineyard that he began farming some twenty plus years ago. After agreeing together which exact rows from three different blocks I would have, we struck up a deal and the rest became Mother Nature’s game. This vineyard is located in the cooler reaches of Anderson Valley near the small town of Philo. The strengths of this site are its location in the appellation, its clonal selection and the intensity of the farming commitment. All these elements become key to being able to achieve the high level of quality we all look for.

Cherry red color. Earthy and complex on the nose with wild currant, sweet cherries, blueberry spice and fresh herbs with a hint of citrus peel. On the palate, the wine is soft and round at first which then escalates toward firmer structure due to the whole-cluster fermentation and location which bodes well for aging. The acidity is also in line which refreshes the palate towards the end especially after a well prepared savory dish!

92 points Wine & Spirits,
90 points Wine Spectator

225 cases produced.
Download the full winemaking and tasting notes.

This is the newest vineyard to our lineup and is situated on the north-west side of Anderson Valley in an area known as the ‘deep end’ of Philo. This cool-climate vineyard is located on a north slope at an elevation of approximately 400 feet. The terroir consists of a dark shale and clay-like soil. The Monument Tree Vineyard is approximately 15 acres and is planted to the finest Dijon clones of Pinot Noir selections seen today in California.

Charles McBride, the owner of this esteemed north coast vineyard, takes pride in caring for his vineyard in a world-class fashion. The yields are naturally low which suits our house style, giving us the pedigree and intensity that Anderson Valley shows so well. We look forward to many vintages to come from this sought-after site.

Dark cherry red color. Medium full bodied. Aromas of white pepper, sweet black cherries, fresh toast and spicy floral notes. The flavors include exotic plums, blueberries, cherry and kola. The wine is complex and round with delicious mouth watering cherry fruits and a wonderful acidity on the finish with varietal undertones of rose petals.

91 points Stephen Tanzer’s IWC, 94 points Wine & Spirits,
Gold Medal San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Download the full winemaking and tasting notes.