Feature Article
According to Michael McNeill, all the fog and wind that influences Carneros also influences Keller Estate. In fact, McNeill describes his Sonoma Coast location as "Carneros West".
Keller Estate: Adding Sharper Definition to Sonoma Coast
“The over-arching purpose of having appellations is to give better definition to where wine comes from and what you should expect from the wines of that area.”
~ Michael McNeill, Keller Estate
by
Thom Elkjer
November 2, 2006
Thom Elkjer (TE): In what ways is Keller Estate representative of Sonoma Coast?
Michael McNeill (MM): There are two ways in which your vineyards can be influenced by the coast. One is proximity to the ocean. That’s what they have in the vineyards north of Jenner [a town at the mouth of the Russian River], such as Flowers, Hirsch, and Marcassin. As the crow flies, they’re within a couple of miles of the water. But they are also at 1800 feet of elevation, so they’re typically above the fog, which means in the sunshine. They get a lot of sunlight.
TE: But even in full sun for most of the day, the air just never gets that hot. There’s too much 50-degree water right next door.
MM: And because the ocean doesn’t change temperature that much, those vineyards near the water don’t get that cold either.
The other way you get a coastal influence is through fog and wind. Where we are, in the eastern end of the Petaluma Gap, all the fog and wind that influence the Carneros appellation come through here first. We get the wind and fog earlier in the day than Carneros, and it stays longer the next morning. So I think of our estate as being in “Carneros West.”
TE: Are there other similarities with Carneros, which starts just a few miles away?
MM: There are similarities with soil. We also have Diablo clay loams like they do in Carneros. But it’s the Petaluma Gap that drives our climate. We get cooled by being in the fog. We’re 20 miles from the coast, but the fog gets inland to our vineyards on many days of the growing season. We’re only five miles from San Pablo Bay, but it’s the Pacific Ocean that provides the cold, wet air for the fog and wind.
TE: How much rainfall do you get here?
MM: 22-24 inches. Not a lot. And with all the wind we get, we have to irrigate. We can’t grow wine grapes here without irrigating. The soils can hold some water, so we don’t have to irrigate early in the year because the winter rains soak the ground and the vines can take that up until July. Then we start irrigating and keep it up almost to harvest.
TE: What about temperatures during the day?
MM: It can get hot, but it can’t stay hot because by 1:30 or 2:00, the fog and wind will come along and send the thermometer right back down. By 5:00 in the afternoon, those of us who work at the winery are picking up a sweater if we’re going outside. We see 100 degrees a few days of the year, but it doesn’t amount to that many hours. If we’re having an evening barbecue outdoors in our t-shirts, that’s rare.
TE: Do you think there’s any need to carve out a sub-appellation for this part of Sonoma Coast?
MM: I could see several different sub-appellations making sense within Sonoma Coast, which is a really big, rambling appellation. The folks way out by the water, in what they call “Ft. Ross/Seaview,” are in a world of their own. They clearly could justify a sub-appellation.
TE: There’s been talk of it for years, but as long as Helen Turley says “My vineyard is my appellation,” it seems unlikely they’ll ever do it. What are the other two areas you’re thinking of?
MM: There’s a part of the Santa Rosa plain -- where the wind runs north and cold air sheds off Sonoma Mountain -- that has an interesting climatic profile, not to mention a lot of vineyards. And of course some growers have already formed a Petaluma Gap Association in the southern section of Sonoma Coast, and we’re at the eastern end of that corridor. So you could certainly argue for those two other areas.
But I don’t think you’re going to see those new sub-appellations being formed either. The over-riding purpose of having appellations is to give better definition to where wine comes from and what you should expect from the wines of a particular area. If you don’t have the necessary marketing horsepower to do the consumer education and promotion of what the appellation is about, then why create it?
TE: Legally, you could use the Northern Sonoma AVA, or Sonoma County, or North Coast on your wine labels. So why do you use Sonoma Coast even though you recognize that it doesn’t have much meaning -- or the meaning which it has doesn’t really fit the piece of ground you’re working on?
MM: Sonoma Coast is the most specific appellation available to us. It’s not great, but it’s the best we can do unless we want to jump in and spearhead a whole new appellation. If the Petaluma Gap Association decides to form an appellation, we would get involved. Most people I’ve talked to, though, don’t feel it’s realistic at this time on a practical basis. It’s hard enough to farm grapes and make wine around here while you’re promoting a new brand -- we don’t really need another project!
TE: You’ve been working at this estate throughout four vintages now. Can you see any patterns yet?
MM: One of the stock things which people say in the Pinot Noir business is that Oregon is a marginal climate where the vintage is always different and that’s what makes the wine different from year to year, while California always has the same old sun and it’s the winemakers who induce differences in the wine. I don’t believe it. At this estate, every vintage has been clearly different.
TE: The estate is also planted to deliver a lot of variation in the flavors. How many different blocks do you have in the estate, and how are they set up?
MM: There are eleven blocks draped over half a dozen slopes and knolls, totaling 86 acres. That’s on a 500-acre piece of land, so it’s planted very selectively. Seven of the blocks are planted to nine different clones of Pinot Noir. Three more blocks are planted to four different clones of Chardonnay, and we have two clones of Syrah in the last block.
TE: How much variation is there in harvest date among all those different combinations?
MM: Sometimes not very much. In 2003, except for our little bit of Syrah, we harvested the whole ranch in nine days. That’s unusual. In 2005, we got to take five weeks. A very gentlemanly harvest.
TE: Most of your production is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a small amount of Pinot Gris and Syrah, and you liken the estate to “Carneros West.” Do you see or seek stylistic or flavor similarities with Carneros Pinots and Chards?
MM: I don’t see similarities or seek them. We have some climatic qualities in common, but our fruit flavors tend to be more black than red. I associate Carneros Pinot Noirs with red cherry flavors, and broadly speaking, I don’t see a whole lot of complexity in them. Here I get darker fruits, with a lot more mineral and earth, tobacco and other savory qualities, even coffee. But it’s still really sweet and silky. Big and complex, but supple and sweet.
TE: Those are definitely Sonoma Coast descriptors, to the extent that we can say anything about the Pinot Noirs of the whole appellation. Do you have any markers or models in Sonoma Coast that you think of as a winemaker?
MM: I’ve been inspired by a lot of things I’ve tasted and people I’ve worked with, including at Chalone, but one estate I keep coming back to is Domaine Drouhin in Oregon. The texture of their Pinot Noirs is really outstanding. As a winemaker and wine drinker, I feel that if you don’t have great texture in Pinot Noir, you’re missing the boat.
If I had to name a winemaker closer to Sonoma Coast, it would be Merry Edwards. A great winemaker, and a mentor for me.
TE: What’s the biggest surprise which you’ve encountered since you came to this estate?
MM: I’ve been surprised by how fast the vineyards have evolved and developed in such a short time. The vineyards are not that old, less than ten years, but they are finding balance and personality much more rapidly than I expected. It’s really gratifying, and also a challenge. Am I keeping up? Am I listening to what the vines are saying? That’s what you always want as a winemaker, to have vines with something individual to say. You don’t always expect that to develop and evolve as fast as it is here.
~ Thom Elkjer, Regional Correspondent – Mendocino County
To comment on Thom Elkjer’s writings and thoughts, contact him at t.elkjer@appellationamerica.com
Michael McNeill (MM): There are two ways in which your vineyards can be influenced by the coast. One is proximity to the ocean. That’s what they have in the vineyards north of Jenner [a town at the mouth of the Russian River], such as Flowers, Hirsch, and Marcassin. As the crow flies, they’re within a couple of miles of the water. But they are also at 1800 feet of elevation, so they’re typically above the fog, which means in the sunshine. They get a lot of sunlight.TE: But even in full sun for most of the day, the air just never gets that hot. There’s too much 50-degree water right next door.
MM: And because the ocean doesn’t change temperature that much, those vineyards near the water don’t get that cold either.
The other way you get a coastal influence is through fog and wind. Where we are, in the eastern end of the Petaluma Gap, all the fog and wind that influence the Carneros appellation come through here first. We get the wind and fog earlier in the day than Carneros, and it stays longer the next morning. So I think of our estate as being in “Carneros West.”
TE: Are there other similarities with Carneros, which starts just a few miles away?
MM: There are similarities with soil. We also have Diablo clay loams like they do in Carneros. But it’s the Petaluma Gap that drives our climate. We get cooled by being in the fog. We’re 20 miles from the coast, but the fog gets inland to our vineyards on many days of the growing season. We’re only five miles from San Pablo Bay, but it’s the Pacific Ocean that provides the cold, wet air for the fog and wind.
TE: How much rainfall do you get here?
MM: 22-24 inches. Not a lot. And with all the wind we get, we have to irrigate. We can’t grow wine grapes here without irrigating. The soils can hold some water, so we don’t have to irrigate early in the year because the winter rains soak the ground and the vines can take that up until July. Then we start irrigating and keep it up almost to harvest.
TE: What about temperatures during the day?
MM: It can get hot, but it can’t stay hot because by 1:30 or 2:00, the fog and wind will come along and send the thermometer right back down. By 5:00 in the afternoon, those of us who work at the winery are picking up a sweater if we’re going outside. We see 100 degrees a few days of the year, but it doesn’t amount to that many hours. If we’re having an evening barbecue outdoors in our t-shirts, that’s rare.
TE: Do you think there’s any need to carve out a sub-appellation for this part of Sonoma Coast?
MM: I could see several different sub-appellations making sense within Sonoma Coast, which is a really big, rambling appellation. The folks way out by the water, in what they call “Ft. Ross/Seaview,” are in a world of their own. They clearly could justify a sub-appellation.
TE: There’s been talk of it for years, but as long as Helen Turley says “My vineyard is my appellation,” it seems unlikely they’ll ever do it. What are the other two areas you’re thinking of?
MM: There’s a part of the Santa Rosa plain -- where the wind runs north and cold air sheds off Sonoma Mountain -- that has an interesting climatic profile, not to mention a lot of vineyards. And of course some growers have already formed a Petaluma Gap Association in the southern section of Sonoma Coast, and we’re at the eastern end of that corridor. So you could certainly argue for those two other areas.
But I don’t think you’re going to see those new sub-appellations being formed either. The over-riding purpose of having appellations is to give better definition to where wine comes from and what you should expect from the wines of a particular area. If you don’t have the necessary marketing horsepower to do the consumer education and promotion of what the appellation is about, then why create it?
TE: Legally, you could use the Northern Sonoma AVA, or Sonoma County, or North Coast on your wine labels. So why do you use Sonoma Coast even though you recognize that it doesn’t have much meaning -- or the meaning which it has doesn’t really fit the piece of ground you’re working on?MM: Sonoma Coast is the most specific appellation available to us. It’s not great, but it’s the best we can do unless we want to jump in and spearhead a whole new appellation. If the Petaluma Gap Association decides to form an appellation, we would get involved. Most people I’ve talked to, though, don’t feel it’s realistic at this time on a practical basis. It’s hard enough to farm grapes and make wine around here while you’re promoting a new brand -- we don’t really need another project!
TE: You’ve been working at this estate throughout four vintages now. Can you see any patterns yet?
MM: One of the stock things which people say in the Pinot Noir business is that Oregon is a marginal climate where the vintage is always different and that’s what makes the wine different from year to year, while California always has the same old sun and it’s the winemakers who induce differences in the wine. I don’t believe it. At this estate, every vintage has been clearly different.
TE: The estate is also planted to deliver a lot of variation in the flavors. How many different blocks do you have in the estate, and how are they set up?
MM: There are eleven blocks draped over half a dozen slopes and knolls, totaling 86 acres. That’s on a 500-acre piece of land, so it’s planted very selectively. Seven of the blocks are planted to nine different clones of Pinot Noir. Three more blocks are planted to four different clones of Chardonnay, and we have two clones of Syrah in the last block.
TE: How much variation is there in harvest date among all those different combinations?
MM: Sometimes not very much. In 2003, except for our little bit of Syrah, we harvested the whole ranch in nine days. That’s unusual. In 2005, we got to take five weeks. A very gentlemanly harvest.TE: Most of your production is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a small amount of Pinot Gris and Syrah, and you liken the estate to “Carneros West.” Do you see or seek stylistic or flavor similarities with Carneros Pinots and Chards?
MM: I don’t see similarities or seek them. We have some climatic qualities in common, but our fruit flavors tend to be more black than red. I associate Carneros Pinot Noirs with red cherry flavors, and broadly speaking, I don’t see a whole lot of complexity in them. Here I get darker fruits, with a lot more mineral and earth, tobacco and other savory qualities, even coffee. But it’s still really sweet and silky. Big and complex, but supple and sweet.
TE: Those are definitely Sonoma Coast descriptors, to the extent that we can say anything about the Pinot Noirs of the whole appellation. Do you have any markers or models in Sonoma Coast that you think of as a winemaker?
MM: I’ve been inspired by a lot of things I’ve tasted and people I’ve worked with, including at Chalone, but one estate I keep coming back to is Domaine Drouhin in Oregon. The texture of their Pinot Noirs is really outstanding. As a winemaker and wine drinker, I feel that if you don’t have great texture in Pinot Noir, you’re missing the boat.
If I had to name a winemaker closer to Sonoma Coast, it would be Merry Edwards. A great winemaker, and a mentor for me.
TE: What’s the biggest surprise which you’ve encountered since you came to this estate?
MM: I’ve been surprised by how fast the vineyards have evolved and developed in such a short time. The vineyards are not that old, less than ten years, but they are finding balance and personality much more rapidly than I expected. It’s really gratifying, and also a challenge. Am I keeping up? Am I listening to what the vines are saying? That’s what you always want as a winemaker, to have vines with something individual to say. You don’t always expect that to develop and evolve as fast as it is here.
~ Thom Elkjer, Regional Correspondent – Mendocino County
To comment on Thom Elkjer’s writings and thoughts, contact him at t.elkjer@appellationamerica.com
