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Pinot Paradise
(Part One by Susanna Gaertner)
Pinot Noir afficionados converged this spring at the Mountain Winery in
Saratoga, an hour south of San Francisco, to celebrate the diverse expressions
of this fine, if fickle, grape in an atmosphere of abundant sunshine and
fabulous food. Pinot Paradise, now in its second year, saw 31 wineries joined
by 22 restaurants to inform the palates of more than 900 attendees.
Certain logistical problems arose from the unexpectedly large crowd. The
din reached rather extraordinary levels, often making it impossible to
talk to the wine makers, and people congregating around the food often
blocked access to the wine tables. A few more spit buckets would have
been welcome, as well, but as Dave Moulton, Chairman of the event, said,
“Without doubt, we poured more Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot in one
day, in one place, than ever before in history.” It’s a significant
event, for this small appellation produces some of the best, if least
known, Pinot Noir in the world.
“Much smaller producers means that the Pinots tend to be more reflective
of the terroir, giving the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation a greater
variety of resulting styles,” says Jim Schultze of Windy Oaks Estate.
“There’s also a wide variety of microclimates in this appellation,
which means different ripening times, available moisture, and other character-influencing
variables.”
Because Pinot is so reflective of terrain, it lends itself beautifully
to comparative tasting. Everyone will have their favorites, here are some
of mine:
The 2003 Windy Oaks Estate, Henry’s Block sparkles
with gorgeous cherries and amiable acids to create a truly refined (though
it is unfined and unfiltered) Pinot which can be consumed immediately
but will become even more compelling with time. At $29 this is an outstanding
value.
Of the Clos Tita 2003 Estate, only 60 cases remain and
I’d especially recommend this $36 beauty if you are willing to wait
3-5 years to drink it; actually, this Pinot’s great structure gives
it a 10-15 year aging potential. In their own words, “no filters,
no pumps, no hype.” Amen.
The 2004 Trout Gulch Vineyard, Beauregard Vineyards Pinot Noir
was another favorite: it’s got a great play of crisp McIntosh with
mellow Bing cherry: round and tart in equal measure. Very nice! There
are about 200 cases left; $45 per bottle, minus 20% if you join their
wine club.
The 2002 Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Estate was another favorite:
assertive yet dignified, still in pre-release yet already astonishingly
balanced, with fine varietal definition. A truly elegant, even regal,
Pinot.
Not surprisingly, it has already won a Silver at this year’s SF
Chronicle Competition: the 2003 Silver Mountain, Miller Hill Vineyard
is young and sprightly, ready to bounce out of the bottle but
also stay put for several years of elegant maturation. For a Pinot that
has just been released, this one shows its noble pedigree and promise
of dignified aging.
My personal Best in Show goes to Muccigrosso’s 2003
which has an olfactory after-punch that is truly mesmerizing. Suave and
silky, forward yet restrained, with a sort of mineral mindfulness under
the cheeky cherries jubilee. Just terrific!
Winemaker Jacob Kauffman doesn’t fine or filter his Pinot: “I
try to get the wine to a point where it's stable enough to go into bottle
as is, since we all know Pinot is delicate. The majority of the fruit
comes from our vineyard, which is below David Bruce's Estate (southwest).
We are about 400 feet below Bear Creek Rd., where it is sometimes as much
as 15 degrees cooler! The fruit is made from a dijon 115 clone and an
old Paul Masson Clone.” Price is $35 per bottle…alas, there
are fewer than 100 cases remaining.
The abundant food offerings included chocolates, olive oils, nuts, cheeses…all
the usual wine accompaniments plus canapes by Michael’s on Main
in Soquel. L’Estasi Dolce offered a praline consisting of pureed
peanuts and crystallized ginger, “enrobed in European dark chocolate”
that tasted like a wonderful halva. The pureed peanuts were “enobled”
by the ginger and didn’t taste as pedestrian as the term might suggest.
Lovely, but very expensive.
Judged “one of the top 35 oils in the world” by Germany’s
premier foodie magazine, Der Feinschmecker, Stella Cadente’s herb
infused extra virgins are a pure delight for nose and mouth. I especially
like the Persian Lime variety for its combination of vigor and mildness.
Stella Cadente (shooting star, in Italian) olives are hand-picked, pesticide
and herbicide free…it’s clear why they’ve won multiple
“Best of Show,” “Best in Class” awards.
And Pinot Paradise deserves a “Best of Show” as well for its
informative and comprehensive presentation of all that the unique terroir
of the Santa Cruz Mountains
has to offer.
For another perspective on Pinot Paradise, see PINOT PARADISE (Part Two, by Scott Clemens)