Keller Estate

Keller Estate may have been founded by a Swiss-Mexican auto manufacturing magnate, but he knew where to find the expertise he needed to plant a French grape in California. When Arturo Keller was ready to plant this vineyard, he found Ted Lemon of Littorai and listened to his advice. The result, in Keller’s 86-acre vineyard, is seven different vineyard blocks for Pinot Noir, holding nine different clones.

In Michael McNeill, Keller found a winemaker who thought all that variety was just fine. I recently went through a clonal tasting with him at the winery and began to understand the potential of the Pinot Noir programs here. This first “regular” release is a nicely poised balance of old world and new world qualities. In the aromas, you find both classic Burgundian strawberry and rhubarb and California coastal depth and darkness. In your mouth, it plays out as sweet, juicy, sumptuously modern flavors that also retain some elegance and bring in an earthy undertone to give foundation to the finish – which keeps some high sweet fruit notes coming for a long time. Well made wine, and more than anything a sign of good things to come.

Reviewed August 29, 2006 by Thom Elkjer.