Pinot Paradise

(Part Two by Scott Clemens)

For another perspective on Pinot Paradise, see part one by Susanna Gaertner.

As Bonny Doon's Randall Graham noted from a grower's perspective, it's best to be "monogamous to your grape variety. Unfortunately, I've never met a grape variety I didn't like." Likewise, I have many favorites in the world of wine, but if I were marooned on an island with just one red variety, it would have to be Pinot. Its appeal lies in its lush fruit, in its ability to display complexity under that fruit at a young age without undue tannins, and in its silky texture.

Pinot (when it's referred to by its first name it's understood that we're talking about Noir, not Blanc, not Gris, not Meunier) has become more popular, and hence more expensive, in the past couple of years since its deification in the movie Sideways, but it's always been appreciated by wine cognoscenti. It originally hails from Bourgogne (or as the English bastardized it, Burgundy), a very small region in eastern France that for centuries has produced some of the best, and certainly the most expensive, Pinots on the planet, which continue to be the benchmark by which we judge the variety. While acknowledging its reputation, we should note that Burgundy also produces a plethora of prodigiously posh plonk, that is to say expensive, insipid table wine. It's expensive because there is precious little of it and the demand is great. The good news is that very fine Pinots are now being produced around the world, and some are relative bargains.

Pinot Noir was first planted in North America by Paul Masson, an immigrant from Burgundy, who established his winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains at the beginning of the 20th century. So it was fitting that we gathered at his mountain winery to taste more than 50 Pinot Noirs from the Santa Cruz Mountains, at the second annual Pinot Paradise tasting.

The appellation runs about 40 miles from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz, from 400 feet up on the western (ocean) side, and from 600 feet up on the eastern (bay) side. It's impossible to get an accurate accounting of the number of vineyards, but one authority guestimates that there are 226 separate vineyards, of which 190 are under 5 acres. The wineries tend to be small mom-and-pop operations (500 to 5,000 total cases), that produce 50 to 150 cases of Pinot Noir. As the vineyards are scattered throughout the mountains, with a myriad of exposures to sun, fog and wind, and several different soil types varying from calcareous to clay and decomposed granite, one might suppose that there could be no common thread among these wines. Yet there is a certain spicyness and structure that they share in common. Jeff Emery, of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, sees these mountain Pinots "as spicy, with good acidity, austere in their youth, very elegant and food friendly with some age. It's the sites that play between fog and sun that determine the character of Santa Cruz grapes."

As so few cases are produced, these wines are hard to find (many are available only at the winery), but most of them are reasonably priced, especially in comparison to their peers from better known areas. If you're looking for an exotic and rewarding vacation, you might want to come to San Francisco or Santa Cruz, and make day trips into the mountains to discover some of these gems. Since most of these wineries require an appointment to visit, you might want to come on one of the Passport Weekends (the third Saturday of January, April, July and November, when participating wineries open their doors from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Or check the Santa Cruz Mountain Winery Association website for other events throughout the year — www.scmwa.com.

Here are a few of my favorites from the tasting (all are Pinot Noirs from the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation):

Windy Oaks, 2003 Estate Reserve: Layered dead leaf over fresh cherry with a distinctly floral note in the nose. Very elegant, with a fabulously silky texture, great finesse through the mid palate, and an oak spice (vanilla, graham cracker) finish. $42. 90 points.

Mount Eden Vineyards, 2002: When Martin Ray sold Paul Masson to seagrams he started Mount Eden, with the first vintage in 1946. Today the wines are made from 7 acres of very old vines, using wild yeast and no filtration. The wines are never over 14% alcohol. The 2002 vintage produced 600 cases (large by Santa Cruz standards). It's fairly aromatic with light dead leaf/earthyness under black cherry fruit, good acidity and silky texture. $35. 89 points.

Muccigrosso Vineyards, 2003: Delicate violets and black cherry fruit, medium body and light tannin, showing a bit of silk. The finish adds a touch of earth and mineral complexity. Only 150 cases produced. $35. 89 points

Alfaro Family Vineyard, 2004 Estate: This Pinot has a seductive nose of violets over penetrating black cherry fruit. It has a silky texture and a hint of smoke in the finish, which is carried to great length by bright acidity. It reminds me of a Musigny. Only 144 cases produced. More open than Alfaro's 2004 Schultze Family Vineyard, which needs another 4 to 5 years in the bottle. $33. 89 points.

Ahlgren Vineyard, 2000: The Ahlgrens were pouring their 2000 and 2004. The latter was good, but with 15.5% alcohol it's an aberation best left alone. The 2000, on the other hand, is a much lighter wine, with a sublime nose of uplifted strawberry, cherry and pink roses, while the mid palate offers light spice typical of the appellation. $40. 88 points.

Soquel Vineyards, 2004 Mumms Vineyard: Velvety and aromatic, this is a California style Pinot Noir, with fruit and oak in equal proportion. The predominant flavor is cherry, complemented by light toast. The texture is its forte. Only 200 cases produced. $50. 88 points.