Tastings And Musings At Year's End
12/19/2013
Roger and Drew tasting through the 2012 Pinot Noirs
It’s hard to believe the year is winding to an end, and a good time to assess the changes, challenges and major events of the year. 2013 brought a lot of them, some good and some not so good. Clearly, the two biggest changes for this winemaker were leaving Napa and coming back to beloved Sonoma to work here at R2 Wine Co. (the good), and breaking my ankle (the bad).
At long last, the broken ankle is finally in the rearview mirror. No running for at least 6 more months and just normal swelling and stiffness, but aside from that, things are good.
Now, about the job change…
I sat down the other day with the Brothers Roessler to look at the now-bottled 2012 wines and also a couple gems of the just completed 2013 vintage.
A quick-side note before discussing the wines: When I first started with Roger early this year, I knew I had big shoes to fill. Byron Kosuge was the former winemaker, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for him and for his winemaking style. He’s always veered toward the lighter style without being a zealot about it; instead choosing to let the vineyard dictate the style more than the vingeron. These are the same principals I adhere to and I think they’ve served me well.
The first two wines we looked at were the 2012 Black Pine and 2012 Red Birds. Both Pinots had seemed a little tight right out of the gate when we last looked at them in August, but now they’re really starting to sing. The Black Pine is a plusher, more decadent style with soft tannins and black fruit that really makes for an impressive bottle. Both Richard and I were impressed with how nicely it was drinking. Roger pointed out that it had become a much more complete wine while evolving in the bottle over the last four months. The 2012 Red Birds, a much lighter style Pinot that highlights the bright red-fruit and higher-toned flavors of Sonoma Coast, also tasted wonderful!
Next, we looked at the three very limited production Pinot Noirs from the 2012 vintage: S&B, Hein and the new 3BB blend. All three wines were remarkable and a true “road-trip in a bottle” regarding California Coastal Pinot Noir and the expressions of terroir.
The S&B (from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard) was both an outstanding and classic Santa Rita Hills Pinot. With aromas of Asian spice intermingled with clove, and fresh plum this is our lightest Pinot of the vintage, but in no way is it short on flavor: tightly wound small, fine tannins and crammed with flavors of red fruit, orange persimmon, candied pomegranate.
While the S&B is probably Roger’s favorite wine (and vineyard), the Hein bottling (from the Hein Vineyard) clearly holds a special place in Richard’s heart. The 2012 is a pure expression of the “deep valley” end of Anderson Valley. There are scents of rose-hips, iris and earthy, almost dusty cherry notes. Hein is a multi-dimensional light and earthy Pinot brimming with flavors of sweet raspberry, more red cherry and balanced by apple skin, ginseng and forest floor flavors. A good dose of whole-cluster fermentation made for a long and light tannic structure that ties the whole wine together from first sniff to a lively finish on the back end of the palate.
Next up was the 3BB, which stands for 3 Barrel Blend. Blending is always a challenge and a part of the winemaking process I love most. It was something my old boss Kenneth Juhasz excelled at and something I think I learned a lot from him about. While crafting the blend might seem simple: taste through all the barrels, pick out the best three, and bada-bing, you’re done. Sadly, that’s not the case: Many times the three best barrels might yield flavors that don’t mesh, tannins that are totally out of whack, and an acid profile in anything but harmony with the other elements of the wine. Hence, the sometimes palate-wrenching process of tasting through everything, every combination, again and again; just when you think you have the right blend, you have no idea how the heck you made it. Luckily, Roger and I were up to the challenge!
The resulting 3BB Pinot Noir is decadent and rich. There’s a rich vanilla essence mingling with black cherry and cola flavors first found on the nose. Soft and lush on the palate, near the back-end, there are flavors of anise, ruby plum and orange marmalade intermixed with a bit of coffee and black tea. It’s a classic, richer Sonoma Coast wine.
Finally, and this is what I was nervous about, we decided to taste the most recent fruits of my effort, the 2013 Pinot Noir from the Guidici (Ju-da-Cee) Vineyard on the extreme Sonoma Coast. Having just finished malolactic fermentation, I was nervous the wine might not be showing in as stunning a light as I’d truly been finding it lately. Luckily, my fears were for naught.
Even young, it was clear this wine was a beautiful and stunning example of extreme coastal Pinot Noir. There was a distinct rose petal scent to the nose, and then very acute and lovely flavors of bright cherry, red plum and cinnamon spice notes. Assuming everything goes well for the next year—this should be a truly special wine.
I guess while the ankle lingers, the job change and both the 2012 and 2013 wines are great! Here’s to many more. If anyone (not employed or connected to R2) has actually read this far, email me and say “Go Black Pine” and your next beer at Ernie’s in Shack is on me.
Happy Holidays!
Drew Huffine
Winemaker
Post By:
Drew Huffine