I have wanted to visit Plumpjack Winery in Oakville for some time, interested in tasting their estate syrah whose past two vintages appeared on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List.  Spending a few hours with winemaker Aaron Miller, I learned that Plumpjack is a lean and mean operation that focuses on doing the very best with what the land gives them.

A 1992 partnership between Gavin Newsom and Gordon Getty established Plumpjack Wine and Spirits, which stills thrives at different locations in San Francisco.  From that, Plumpjack Winery began in the Napa Valley, offering a menu of nearly twenty wines.  After joining the team, President John Conover persuaded the staff to limit production and concentrate on what the local terroir supports:  cabernet sauvignon and syrah. They have achieved this while expanding a family of wines that highlight different micro-climates throughout the Napa Valley

The 2015 Plumpjack Syrah ($60) was everything I thought it would be and comes with an interesting story.  It is sourced from two distinctive vineyards, the Stagecoach that sits above the Napa Valley floor and the Hudson in the cooler Carneros region.  The higher

Plumpjack Syrah Napa Valley

elevation adds intensity of fruit and cooler climates help retain the varietal character.  Balanced and powerful, the smokey, spice flavors nicely overlaid those of baked fruit for a rich mouthfeel

The 2015 Syrah is 30% pressed whole cluster and, according to Aaron is often done barefoot, “I Love Lucy”-style.  Sounding natural and authentic, he described it as exhausting, while creating small, painful acidic scratches on the feet and ankles.  I urged him to work through the pain and continue what he is doing.

The Plumpjack family now includes two other nearby wineries that exhibit distinct terroir and persona.  The Cade Winery, located on Howell Mountain to the North, experiences warm days and cool, windy nights while Odette, in the historic Stag’s Leap District is naturally cooler, known for combinations of clay, loam and volcanic soils.  We compared the characteristics of current cabernet sauvignon releases from each winery, all with recent reviews in the mid-nineties.

Plumpjack winemaker Aaron Miller

With minimal pruning to the vines,  Miller lets the fruit do the talking with his Oakville 2015 Plumpjack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($130), adding touches of petit verdot and malbec. Expressive, fruity aromas extend into jammy berry and cherry flavors with herbal notes, silky tannins and spice on the finish.

The soils up on Howell Mountain consist of more rock and less clay. In both aromas and

Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon

flavors, winemaker Danielle Cyrot’s 2015 Cade Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($110), with small amounts of petit verdot and merlot added, has an earthy quality with hints of tobacco, coffee and cassis.  Muscular tannins are softened by a very rich mouthfeel.

Jeff Owens is a veteran winemaker who began with Plumpjack, became an assistant winemaker at Cade, before being named as head winemaker at Odette.  His 2015 Odette Cabernet Sauvignon Stag’s Leap District ($140) epitomizes the balance of power and elegance. Rich, concentrated dark fruit and spice on the nose and palate are nicely restrained throughout a lengthy finish.

Selecting one of these wines over another is like picking a favorite child.  In the end, they’re all great.  It isn’t a competition, but a rare opportunity to discover, first hand, the nuances of distinctive terroir that exist in a region simply known as the Napa Valley.

Among the reds, we managed to taste the 2016 Plumpjack Reserve Chardonnay Napa Valley ($50) that, again, is sourced from two unique appellations:  cool Carneros and warm St. Helena.  Aged in stainless steel (65%) and French oak (35%) with no malolactic fermentation, it has a crisp acidity with citrus, tropical and stone fruit flavors and a pleasant, creamy vanilla on the finish.

Plumpjack tasting room

Various tastings range from $50-$80 per person, but are not for everyone. Nonetheless, those with serious palates and an interest in education of the local terroir will be amply rewarded.

Plumpjack is in a good place.  They are happy with their growers and the estate vineyards are performing well. The plan is to continue with the current format, respect the land, treat each vintage as its own and strive to make extraordinary wines.

I

Years ago, while enjoying a dinner with friends at the Ballard Inn in the Santa Ynez Valley, we selected a local wine, the Richard Longoria Fe Ciega Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills.  The wine began my appreciation for cool-climate chardonnay and pinot noir from this appellation and of Richard as a winemaker who works the land.

Richard and Diana Longoria established their winery in 1982 after building a résumé with other local producers.  Richard’s desire to make wines in the Burgundian style and the

Richard Longoria

unique terroir of the region remains a successful partnership.

The Santa Rita Hills lie forty minutes up the coast from Santa Barbara on the north side of Point Concepcion, California’s only east-west coastal mountain range. The vineyards are directly exposed to cool nights, moderately warm days, wind and fog, protected only by the hills and valleys.  The soils are rocky, somewhat stressed and infused with marine sediment that helps to define the wines.

The Fe Ciega Vineyard is a great property in a prestigious neighborhood that includes Fiddlestix, Sweeney Canyon and Seasmoke vineyards among others.  The 2014 Longoria Chardonnay Fe Ciega Vineyard Santa Rita Hills ($50) is sourced from a few rows of Mt. Eden clone and is aged sur lee in only 26% new French oak.  Although Richard usually avoids malolactic

Fe Ciega Vineyard

fermentation in his chardonnay releases, nearly three-quarters of this juice went through it.  There is a distinctive herbal, earthy quality to the flavors and a balanced acidity on the finish.

Longoria is cautious with new oak and doesn’t make any determinations until he analyzes the juice.  His signature wine, the 2014 Longoria Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard Santa Rita Hills ($55) was aged fifteen months in 40% new French oak resulting in complex herbal, fruit-forward flavors and soft, but clear tannins.  The “Fe Ciega,” which translates to “blind faith,” expresses the finer qualities of pinot noir in the appellation.

Whole-clustered pressed, the 2016 Longoria Chardonnay “Cuvee’ Diana” Santa Rita Hills ($45), with juice sourced from two vineyards, is aged separately for 14 months in 23% new oak, then blended before bottling.  The rich, creamy texture and baked fruit flavors explode on the palate and last through

Longoria” Fe Ciega” Pinot Noir

the finish.

What a difference a vineyard can make.  Sanford and Benedict is one of the oldest and most respected vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills.  In contrast to the Fe Ciega release, the 2014 Longoria Pinot Noir Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Santa Rita Hills ($50), aged fifteen months in 39% new French oak, exudes big, bold cherry pie aromas and flavors.  Drinkable now, this wine will get even better with some time on the shelf.

Richard’s favorite varietal from the region is actually cabernet franc.  The problem with cabernet franc is that it suffers from an ailment called “cabernet sauvignon love.”  It can’t compete. Years ago, he began using it in a unique Bordeaux blend with added syrah.  Are the French scorning or just envious?  Re-launching the disguised cabernet franc, he called the annual blend, “Blues Cuvee’ to honor his love of blues and jazz.  Each label has original blues-themed artwork, a perfect gift for those passionate about vino and vibes.

2006 Longoria Syrah Alisos Vineyard

To my fortune, Richard pulled out a twelve-year-old bottle of syrah from the Alisos Vineyard, cooler than most that produce it.  The 2006 Longoria Syrah Alisos Vineyard Santa Barbara County ($40) had spice notes, but the expressive flavors were so integrated and soft, I was surprised to find an alcohol level of 15.9 percent.

Two very different varietals, both sourced from the Clover Creek Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, are worthy of mention. The 2016 Longoria Albarino Clover Creek Vineyard ($25), offers a spirited acidity and clean stone fruit on the palate.  In the late-harvest, dessert wine category, the 2012 Longoria Syrah “Vino Dulce” Santa Barbara County ($23) is at the top of my list.  Albeit

Longoria Blues Cuvee’ label

sweeter, the herbal, spice qualities of the grape, along with rich fruit and berry flavors, are expressed throughout.  To sip it after dinner is captivating, but to pair it with chocolate is simply decadent.

Tonight, in honor of Richard, his 2014 “Fe Ciega” pinot noir was perfectly paired with the 1979 Bill Evans’ “Paris Concert, Edition One” recording.  It’s always a pleasure to sip and listen to “Quiet Now.”

The Sonoma Square is a peaceful place.  I’m rarely in a hurry there and, aside from finding a weekend parking spot, the surroundings bode well for managing stress. In addition to the quaintness, the California history and fine restaurants like Cafe Le Haye, Girl and the Fig and El Dorado Kitchen, it’s about another treat described as “Pinot on the Square.”  Within the next several weeks, I will feature local spots for tasting fine pinot noir and cool-climate chardonnay, each offering a private, stylish setting and hosts that are passionate about the wines and their story.

Our first stop is Sojourn Cellars on East Napa Street where I met with Director of Marketing Sherrie Perkovich.  My first introduction to Sojourn was in 2007 at an annual Pinotfest event in Pasadena and I have closely followed their releases since. This tasting would include a chardonnay from a noted vineyard, three pinot noir releases and a Napa cabernet sauvignon.

In the past month, I have tasted four chardonnay releases from the Durell Vineyard, all from separate wineries. It straddles the boundaries of the Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros AVA’s and has produced highly sought after juice for decades. The well rated 2015 Sojourn Durell Vineyard Chardonnay Sonoma Coast($48) is 100% Wente clone stock, pressed whole cluster with full malolactic fermentation, aged in forty percent new French oak and has the known

Durell Vineyard

qualities of low-yield vines. There is a restrained intensity in the bouquet with complex, layered stone fruit flavors and a soft “wet stone” finish.

Terroir defines the wines. It starts with the stock, then the dirt and the winemaker only comes in at the end. To that point, we tasted a flight of vineyard-designate pinot noir, each with distinctive qualities.

Located at the foot of the Petaluma Gap, the Rogers Creek Vineyard is, interestingly, the furthest east, but the coolest and last one harvested.  The cool winds thicken the skins, the grapes struggle and the result is deep, more intense flavors.  Using the Pommard clone, the 2016 Sojourn Rogers Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($48), younger than the others, had the most expressive aromas and flavors of the flight.

From a popular local Sonoma vineyard, the 2015 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard Sonoma Coast ($59) offered definitive pinot noir aromas and flavors with shades of spice. More earthy and textural than the Rogers Creek, the Sangiacomo experienced low yields in 2015, that enhanced its fruit flavors.

Sangioacomo Vineyard

The earthiness and the savory side of the 2015 Sojourn Pinot Noir Reuling Vineyard Sonoma Coast ($69) made it the most distinctive wine we tasted.  I enjoy many Sonoma Coast designated pinots but the name is deceiving in that the appellation extends to vineyards miles inland.  The Reuling Vineyard is located between Forestville and Graton, next to the northerly Russian River Valley. The stock is Calera clone and some so-called “suitcase clones” smuggled in from Burgundy.

With the Reuling, typical vanilla spice bouquet and cherry flavors defer to those more earthy and herbal.  Head winemaker Eric Bradley is said to prefer unpretentious, natural wines and this release is a fine example.

Our last tasting reconfirmed my opinion that the 2015 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Home Ranch Cuvée Sonoma Valley ($59), and earlier vintages, is one of the best value cabs in the state.  From a vineyard originally planted by Sojourn proprietor Craig Haserot in 2007, the flavors of the “Home Ranch” are intense, but balanced and smooth tannins surface throughout the finish.  It has received many rating in the low to mid-nineties.

For those with more discerning palates, Sojourn produces a few cases of high-end cabernet sauvignon from well-known Napa Valley vineyards including the 2014 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Rutherford ($125), awarded 95-points by Robert Parker, the Wine Advocate.

Any wine tasting excursion on the Sonoma Square should include the little house on East Napa Street where Sojourn provides enlightened comparable tastings in a private setting, complete with Reidel stemware. As with other local wineries, there is a $35 tasting fee but your minds and palates will be broadened.

View from Mumm Napa tasting room

There is the intriguing story of how Mumm Napa Estate was established on the Silverado Trail in the early 1980s and how that has lead to their current production of over 450,00 cases per year, all in the acclaimed methode traditionelle.  However, after sitting down with winemaker Ludovic Dervin, I found that the real story is how Mumm Napa Estate has become engrained into the fabric of the Bay Area.

Mumm Napa emerged from an idea and partnership between Champagne Mumm of France and Joseph F. Seagram and Sons of New York to research the best location in the U.S. to make sparkling wine.  They hatched a secret plan called “Project Lafayette” in honor of the friendship between the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson and dispatched seasoned Champagne master Guy Devaux to lead the search.

With the only rule requiring that the wines be made from traditional

Champagne grapes chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, Devaux traveled from New York to Oregon to Texas before declaring, in 1984, the Napa Valley as the premier appellation in America.

The sublimely inviting Rutherford site was completed in 1987 in a serene setting that co-exists with the Napa Valley vineyards off to the west. Secure in their ability to source outstanding grapes, Mumm Napa Valley has also established the 112-acre DeVaux Vineyard in the Carneros region, named after the Founding President who passed away in 1995.

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige

As the tasting began, a smiling Ludovic Dervin said, “I’m partial to the Brut Prestige because it is the wine that will put my kids through college.”  The large production Mumm Brut Prestige Napa Valley ($22), is the one that is readily available in wine outlets and supermarkets, good quality at a reasonable price.  He further described a “four-wheel drive” wine with pinot noir providing the muscle, chardonnay the finesse and a bit of key lime.  Pinot meunier and pinot gris add the stone fruit flavors and the consumer delights in the opportunity to contribute to the kids schooling.

The methode traditionelle in making sparkling wine starts with quality grapes and good harvesting practices.  The grapes are picked at 18-24 brix and to reduce bruising, Mumm presses the grapes in the vineyards, then transports the juice to the winery.  The varietals are fermented individually, then blended prior to tirage, the transfer from the barrel to the bottle for secondary fermentation and aging.

Automated or by hand, the bottles are held at steep angles and rotated for days, a process known as riddling. With the bottles

Lyle with Mumm Napa winemaker Ludovic Dervin

upside-down and the yeast lees sediment settled in the neck, it is frozen to 24 degrees Celsius, encapsulating the yeast deposit in an ice plug.

Disgorging occurs when the temporary cap is removed and pressure forces ice plug out. Finally, a small amount sugar solution is added to each bottle, called dosage, and the final cork and muselet wire is secured.

We tasted ten different sparkling wines at various price points, some readily available, others, like the Mumm Brut Reserve Napa Valley ($39) and the Mumm Sparkling Chardonnay Napa Valley ($48),only at the winery or to club members.

Ludovic hinted that the Mumm Cuvee’ M Napa Valley ($22), with thirty grams of residual sugar, targets Millennials who grew up with a sweet tooth. This wine is all

Mumm Napa “Santan”

about peaches and cream with sweetened stone fruit flavors.  Actually, the “M” honors the late-harvest muscat used in dosage, something prohibited in Champagne.  “It’s fun to make sparkling wine in California,” Dervin added.

The vintage specific 2010 Mumm Napa DVX ($65), from the best of the Carneros grapes, is equal parts pinot noir and chardonnay, the perfect balance of power and finesse.  Aged on yeast for five years, the complex and balanced flavors were the highlight of the day.

Two gallery spaces are part of the tour, a permanent Ansel Adams photograph exhibit and a rotating private collection gallery. Always present in the Bay Area lifestyle, Mumm produced all the champagne for each of our San Francisco Giants World Series victories and partners with guitarist Carlos Santana on a special “Santana Series” of releases that benefit his Milagro Foundation.

Mumm Napa DVX

An afternoon at Mumm Napa Valley in Rutherford is time and investment well spent.

A few miles from the town of Solvang, in north Santa Barbara County’s Ballard Canyon area, lies the estate vines of Rusack Vineyards, a small boutique winery producing well-reviewed syrah, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc and other varietals. Established in 1995, Geoff and Alison Wrigley Rusack have developed a reputation for consistency and innovation.  However, it was an idea and an opportunity years ago that lead to a project truly unique to the wine community.

Alison’s great grandfather, William Wrigley, Jr., of chewing gum fame, headed a company that owned Santa Catalina Island.  While the property was deeded over to the Santa

Rancho Escondido Vineyard on Santa Catalina Island

Catalina Island Conservancy years ago, the family retained ownership of a few parcels, namely the old Rancho Escondido horse ranch site on the westside of the island.  It was there, after some study and research, that the Rusack’s decided the terroir, similar to California’s other Burgundian-style growing regions like the Russian River Valley and Santa Rita Hills, was ripe for pinot noir and cool-climate chardonnay.  In 2007, they established a five-acre vineyard on the old site with 2.5 acres of chardonnay and two acres of pinot noir, leaving a small sliver for something totally out-of-the-box.

Geoff caught wind of a story about some old vines that had survived on Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara.  He received permission to take some cuttings which were sent to the University of California, Davis and determined to be zinfandel.  Apparently, the vines, planted around the turn of the century, produced wine until Prohibition. More cuttings were taken and planted in the remaining half-acre and, in 2007, an experiment that reached far beyond most people’s imagination, began.

Rusack Santa Catalina Island Pinot Noir

In 2009, amid much anticipation, Rusack released the inaugural vintage of their Santa Catalina Vineyard wines and, those willing to take a risk on a brave idea, committed to an Isla Wine Circle membership, receiving one bottle each of chardonnay, pinot noir and old-vine zinfandel in a monogrammed wooden box.  While the entire story is intriguing, the gauge of success would be the quality and sustainability of the wine. Recently, the seventh rendition in the wooden box was released and, by all accounts, their experiment has been a huge success.

An earthy quality distinguishes the Rusack Catalina Island Pinot Noir 2014($72) from many other fruit forward pinots. Citrus and cinnamon aromas lead to tart, full flavors of cherry and cranberry that soften during the finish.  Wine Enthusiast magazine, awarding the 2014 release 92-points, described a “strong sagebrush quality” that, in my mind, does not distract, but nicely balances the expression of fruit.  Fermented in macro bins and aged in French oak, 50% new, only 1,500 bottles of this unique wine exist.

The island’s highest rated chardonnay release to date is the Rusack Catalina Island Chardonnay 2015 ($60), granted 92-96-points by the major periodicals.  Barrel fermented with 100% malolactic fermentation and multiple lees stirrings, it has a wonderful silky texture that expresses flavors of vanilla, oak, nuts and butterscotch.  Those preferring citrus and tropical fruit qualities might be disappointed except for complexity of the flavors and the rich, soft finish that this wine delivers.

There are many fine California zinfandel releases on the market, none with more history and backstory than the Rusack Catalina Island Zinfandel 2014($72).  In this vintage, the small half-acre planted in zinfandel produced only 205 cases.  Aged sixteen months in a combination of French and American oak, there are strong spice notes in the bouquet followed by flavors of plum, cedar and various spices.  Once the wine opened up, the tannins softened and the lush texture came to the surface.  As with much zinfandel, this wine can be enjoyed immediately or within the next decade.

Rusack Santa Catalina Island Zinfandel

I recently paired the 2013 vintage of the zinfandel with a diverse cheese plate of chèvre goat cheese, smoked gouda and Roncal, a sheep’s cheese from Spain and it was compatible with each.

The seventh vintage, including the 2015 pinot noir and zinfandel along with the 2016 chardonnay, was released last November. Rusack’s Santa Catalina Island project has been a success and answered any questions about the vineyards ability to produce sustainable, high quality fruit.

Vintners Craig and Kathryn Walt Hall, purveyors of fine Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, have developed a large following of wine lovers, enamored by the magnificent grounds and sculpture gardens, events, a state-of-the-art tasting and production facility and, of course, a menu of annual releases for the more discerning palates, including their signature 2014 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon.

Inspired by the memory of Kathryn’s parents, longtime growers Bob and Dolores Walt, they embarked upon a new venture a few years ago to produce high quality pinot noir and cool-climate chardonnay, something that required a new mindset.  Perfect terroir is important to all varietals, but essential if there is any chance of success with these two

WALT tasting room at Sonoma Plaza

.

WALT’s perspective is narrow in that they are continually seeking to produce or source the best grapes from specific vineyards, but broad in that they are present in all pinot noir appellations from Oregon to Santa Barbara. They have become a one-stop shop to explore literally “a thousand miles of pinot,” producing 23,000 cases annually of low yield, boutique wines.

We recently joined our hosts, General Manager Jeff Zappelli and Wine Educator Terry Cush in the small Tudor-style bungalow off the Sonoma Plaza to taste some current releases and to discuss where they are and where they are going.  It was a study in terroir and well-known vineyards.

Full malolactic fermentation and numerous lees stirrings give the creamy, rich texture and soft minerality to our first wine, the 2016 WALT Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, with fruit from their estate Bob’s Ranch Vineyard east of Sebastopol.  Sur lees aging and French oak give us creamy California-style texture with balanced citrus and stone fruit flavors.

Sheas Vineyard

From one of Oregon’s best known vineyards, sourcing grapes to the likes of Bergstrom Wines and Penner-Ash, the 2015 WALT “Shea” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir offers dense, concentrated flavors with spice on the finish.  Similar to Shea, “The Corners” Vineyard in the Anderson Valley has sourced grapes to many wineries.  The vineyard, now owned by WALT, is in Booneville, south of the valley’s more northern marine-influenced vineyards. More heat means more flavor, better mouthfeel and the 2015 WALT “The Corners” Anderson Valley Pinot Noir may be your only opportunity to enjoy it.

The Sierra Mar Vineyard is owned by Gary and Rosella Franscioni, pioneer growers in the Santa Lucia Highlands, arguably California’s best appellation for pinot noir. The vineyard is at high altitude and exposed to the elements, producing a bright acidity to the 2015 WALT “Sierra Mar” Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir that exudes a rich mouthfeel and concentrated plum flavors with spices overtones. Wines from this appellation deserve our attention.

At nearly one thousand feet elevation, the Rita’s Crown Vineyard, recently acquired by Seasmoke Cellars, is exposed and

2012 WALT “The Corners” Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

windswept, facing due west only seven miles from the Pacific Ocean. From diatomaceous soil and slightly stressed vines, the 2015 WALT “Rita’s Crown Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir has an earthy quality with silky tannins, expressive fruit and minerality on the finish. Seasmoke plans to continue sourcing grapes to fine producers like WALT, so we can expect more of this exceptional release.

Now that WALT is leasing and managing Santa Barbara’s iconic Clos Pepe Vineyard, just off highway 246 in the Santa Rita Hills appellation, we can expect more fine releases.  From the dark color to the rich, bold flavors, the 2015 WALT “Clos Pepe” Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir was, without question, the most masculine wine of the tasting.  The flavors were lush and complex with enough earthy tones on the finish to pair well with most food.

WALT has an aggressive business plan that has given them access and a strong presence in all major pinot noir growing regions. Their pedigree and commitment to quality are good indications of continued growth and success.  Jeff Zappelli spoke of plans for a large, “green” production and tasting facility in Sebastopol that can continue to grow the brand in a sensitive and sustainable manner. This sounds pleasingly familiar to the Hall’s style of doing it the right way.

Clos Pepe Vineyard

For today, visiting WALT in the small bungalow on First Street is a must when visiting the Sonoma Plaza, but with a reservation.  Take the opportunity to refine your pinot noir palate by exploring all of its diverse and stunning terroir.