Discovery Program
Green Valley’s cool climate leaves its mark
on the style of the region’s wines.
Green Valley Exploration
by Dan Berger, Regional Editor
“We simply have a better overall acidity than the typical Russian River Valley Chardonnay.”
~ Greg LaFollette, DeLoach Vineyards
The morning of Monday Oct. 17th, saw the first sitting of the Green Valley Discovery Panel. The group of winemakers congregated at Hartford Court Winery to begin their exploration into the defining characteristics of their appellation, as reflected in the wines of the region. With AppellationAmerica’s Regional Editor, Dan Berger, acting as moderator and recorder, the panel blind tasted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from this small sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley AVA, and noted some interesting lines of commonality which can be considered the signatures of the appellation.
Green Valley Chardonnay:
Higher natural acidity and identifiable citrus elements are what mark Chardonnay from the Green Valley appellation. Tempering of the acidity through varying degrees of malolactic fermentation adds complexity to the wines without masking the typical fruit characteristics of the region.
Green Valley Pinot Noir:
Typically reserved when young, displaying a regional signature of delicate herbaceousness (dried herbs and tea) with a distinctive dried-berry nature of fruit.
Note: to see how the panel arrived at these conclusions read the complete Record of Proceedings, including tasting notes for all wines designated “Appellation Signature” standing. (see below)
Profile of the Green Valley AVA:
Creation of the Green Valley appellation that is entirely contained within the confines of the larger Russian River Valley AVA was not done without a great deal of thought.
And the thought was rather simple: “My parents had a very sound reason for wanting to do this,” said Iron Horse owner Joy Sterling. Her parents, Barry and Audrey Sterling, had lived in Paris (he as an international attorney) and bought their 110-acre ranch in 1974 after Rod Strong couldn’t follow through on a lease-option he had on the property.
“They had a very sound reason for wanting to create something that was tightly delineated, and it stems from the experiences my parents had in Europe,” said Joy.
“There was no Russian River Valley appellation at the time, but I think we were on parallel courses.” But she said that it was clear from the start that the smaller the appellation, the more meaningful it would be, and the greater Russian River appellation, though cool, was not as persistently cool as was Green Valley.
Sterling continued to say that the regional characteristics of the wines were “vital to the understanding people would have of them, and my parents were thoroughly convinced that a cooler climate was the most desirable place to make great, classic wine. That was not the conventional wisdom of the day.”
Before the Sterlings purchased their property, Strong had assigned Forrest Tancer (who was then working at Sonoma Vineyards, later Rodney Strong Vineyards) to plant the Iron Horse ranch half and half to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The region had already proven successful for those grapes thanks to local grower Warren Dutton.
In 1976, Iron Horse was founded, the second property in the region. (The first, called Russian River Vineyards along the easterly Highway 116, later was acquired by Michael Topolos and has carried his name since.)
The Iron Horse winery opened in 1978, when Chardonnay was produced. “At the time, this was the most westerly vineyard in Sonoma County,” said Sterling. “And the quest to have a Green Valley appellation was based on the desire to have a smaller, more focused boundary.”
Although once within the scope of the original Green Valley appellation plan, the nearby property of Tom Dehlinger didn’t quite fit when a closer look was taken. For one thing, Dehlinger has some south-facing (and thus warmer) portions of his ranch, and “also, his property is on the other side of 116,” said Sterling. “And I don’t know whether 116 should have been the natural boundary, but with the government [the TTB which approves appellations], roads typically trump geology.”
Since the Dutton family was already heavily planted in the area, Iron Horse felt comfortable being the first major Green Valley “name” to develop a winery brand focusing on the Green Valley designation. “But Marimar [Torres] coming in was a huge boost for the area.”
Marimar Torres, whose family operates one of Spain’s most successful wineries, moved to California in 1975 and by 1981 was sure she wanted to make wine, but “It was not easy to persuade my father that I was serious.”
Torres said she looked for a property for two years before finding her ranch just the other side of a hill from Iron Horse. “And it was love at first sight,” she says. “I had a viticulturist advising me, and he said that I could plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but not much else. Well, I said, That’s all right with me. I love Pinot Noir.”
“We began planting in 1986, but it took four years because I was doing my first book.” Moreover, her brother Miguel Torres “was skeptical,” she added. “The soils here are very different from those in Europe, and my brother said I spent too much money on this project.” She paid $8,000 per acre.
“Yes, it was cold out here, and my brother was uneasy with this project, so I went to Davis for a year [in 1988], to learn what the challenges were.”
Encouraged by Agustin Huneeus of Franciscan and assisted by wine maker Steve Test, who consultanted for her first vintage, Marimar Torres’ inaugural vintage of Chardonnay was 1989. Planted later, the fist vintage of Pinot Noir would be the 1992.
“People may forget that, at the time, red wine was on the way down and Chardonnay was on the way up,” she says.
“We have very fond memories of Marimar coming in here,” says Sterling. “It’s nearly 30 years since we founded our property, and now Green Valley is ‘an overnight sensation’ that was 25 years in the making.”
Much to the detriment of the Green Valley appellation, there was another Green Valley in California, located just east of Napa County in Solano County. Wine grapes grow in that Green Valley as well, though it is nowhere near as prestigious. Since both appellation petitions were in the hands of the government at the same time, both petitions were approved with provisos.
The federal ruling allowed each region to use Green Valley, but both had to append their local county name. Thus wineries in the westernmost Green Valley region had to state “Green Valley of Sonoma County” on their labels. However, such a long appellation designation takes up a lot of (label) space, so some wineries simply have opted for the all-inclusive Russian River Valley as their appellation. (The Russian River also being an appellation with better ‘name’ recognition and market cache.)
However, the Green Valley of Sonoma County wineries have now petitioned the government to permit a name change to “Green Valley of Russian River Valley.” The amended name is expected to be approved shortly.
Green Valley AVA varietal stats (2004): 3,673 total acres planted to vines
Record of Proceedings – Chardonnay
So many Chardonnays are produced in America using full malolactic fermentation to convert malic acid to lactic acid that regional characteristics are being challenged and threatened.
The conversion of the sharper malic acid to the softer, more “milky” or “creamy” lactic also has a way of cutting down on some of the more obvious fruit esters. This, in particular, was a factor in what the panel members saw as an element in how Green Valley Chardonnay develops from grape to glass.
Green Valley’s naturally cool climate leaves acid levels unacceptably high for weeks as sugars develop. The hotter weather that can be seen in other parts of the broader Russian River appellation does not compromise Green Valley’s fog bank-induced citrus-y components. Thus, within Green Valley, the natural varietal character remains well into the period of (grape) development.
However, with acid levels near or even above 1%, and pH levels in the 3.0 to 3.1 range, some moderation in both figures needs to be considered. And although not every producer puts his or her Chardonnay through a complete malolactic fermentation, most do and the others do so partially.
And yet, said Marimar Torres, “this region’s Chardonnay is really a reflection of the fragrance of our fruit and the balance we get” (despite the use of malolactic).
Lemon oil was the most prominent aromatic component seen in these wines, but Don Hartford pointed out that the Granny Smith apple, with a hint of the local Gravenstein apple, was what added to the complexity in these wines, “and we are constantly looking at layering the textures.”
“The evolution of these wines in the glass is endemic to this region,” said Dan Goldfield. “The better the wine, the more it evolves in the glass, so you can see more and more nuances.”
“We simply have a better overall acidity than the typical Russian River Valley Chardonnay,” summarized Greg LaFollette.
“A lot of this is related to older vines,” said Goldfield. “The age of the vines is a crucial factor. You get far more complexity from the older vineyards, and that’s why we’ll see a real move toward greater complexity as the years go by.”
“But it also depends a lot on the clones we have,” said Torres, who pointed out that her plantings of Chardonnay in the late 1980s were with clones that do not get over-ripe flavors in the longer growing conditions of the Green Valley appellation.
Hartford, whose property is one of the northernmost in the appellation, said that the angularity of the wines before malolactic makes them almost undrinkable if they don’t undergo the amelioration of malolactic, but after they are aged in barrels, “we have more tightness, but then more silkiness of our tannins too.”
Conclusion:
Common to all the Green Valley Chardonnays designated with “Appellation Signature” standing was a higher natural acidity and thus a greater emphasis on citrus elements, moderated by malolactic fermentation. This makes for a most complex and yet still relatively identifiable aromatic signature for Chardonnay from this appellation.
The ”Appellation Signature” wines – Chardonnay
The following wines garnered the Appellation Signature distinction based on overall quality of wine while showcasing a common and defining link with other Chardonnays of the region.
2003, Dutton Goldfield, Dutton Ranch:
Lemon oil, subtle citrus, and crème brûlée, faint hints of hazelnut and dried pears. Relatively lean entry with a soft mid-palate but a surprisingly crisp finish that has floral and spice notes all the way to the end. The finish shows where the wine’s real heart is, in its acidity. Only 13.5% alcohol. ($30)
2003, Iron Horse, Corral Vineyard:
Lime and lemon notes in the early aroma, but as swirled the wine reveals a faint hint of a creaminess, then spice components, with juniper, clove, ginger, tangerine, fresh coconut, and a trace of quince paste. In the finish there is a faint lychee note, but overall the wine displays great harmony of all its disparate elements because of superb acidity. Indeed, one taster said the wine was a bit angular, but others said that was all within the balance of the wine. If there is a question here, it is in the alcohol (14.4%). ($35)
2002, Marimar Torres, Don Miguel Vineyard:
Light spiced lemon oil aroma, relatively lean and not very assertive at first, but the crisp elements (which added a note of lime to the finish) become evident with aeration and the wine developed handsomely in the glass, showing why this wine, which was a year older than the others, was release later: it was backward and needed time to open up. Crisp finish and a nice, barely noticeable, use of oak. ($28)
2003, Dutton Estate, Dutton-Palms Vineyard:
First whiff reveals the malolactic fermentation, but there is also a delicate lemon oil and wizened apple character and a very delicate spice note. Almost sweet it is so succulent, but good solid acidity saves the wine from being too simple. ($40)
Record of Proceedings – Pinot Noir
The typical Russian River Valley Pinot Noir focuses more on strawberry or even raspberry fruit components. However, over the last few years, as some of the new French clones (notably 667 and 777) have made their way into a dominant position in many vineyards, a riper, harder-edged Pinot has evolved in the region that has the alcohol and weight of Syrah.
In Green Valley’s cooler climate, the wines (generally made from a mix of clones, most of them older) retain more of the black-fruit complexity that, in most vintages, pays homage to the terroir by evincing the endemic character of the appellation is dried herbs or tea.
Such was the case with six of the wines evaluated blind by the panel, and agreed to be exceptional examples of the appellation. The discussion that followed the tasting was lengthy and covered a range from the highly technical to the broadly aesthetic.
However, the primary and universally agreed-on terroir considerations here were a delicate herbaceousness and the distinctiveness of the dried-berry nature of the fruit. “Specific fruit flavors here are less important than the overall impression of the wine,” said Joy Sterling. “There is a purity of the fruit, and no one is using oak to challenge that.”
LaFollette spoke of the “combination of complexity and the finesse,” and Hartford said that “even in those wines that are relatively dense, there is a persistent herbal-and-fruit quality that comes through.”
Conclusion:
Based on this tasting, the Discovery panel concluded that Green Valley Pinot Noir tends to be a bit on the reticent side when young, more so than with most other wines of the western Russian River, and also retains more silky personality (compared with some of the more assertive, higher-alcohol styles seen elsewhere in the region). However, with about an extra year in the bottle, a finesse and a breeding seems to develop that makes for a not only more charming and approachable wine, but one that shows its regional underpinnings with grace and elegance.
The ”Appellation Signature” wines - Pinot Noir
The following wines garnered the Appellation Signature distinction based on overall quality of wine while showcasing a common and defining link with other Pinot Noir of the region.
2002, Marimar Torres Estate, Don Miguel Vineyard “Christina Selection”:
Smoke and gunpowder tea enhance the distinctive dried herbal aroma with hints of fresh strawberry and black fruit. Oak was evident, but certainly in the minority as an aroma trigger. The taste featured a ripe-yet-tart fruit note not unlike cranberries, and the wine developed a definitive sweetness as it aired. A lot of depth here, notably because the wine was released later (it needed additional cellar time to sidestep its “dumb” phase. ($47)
2003, Dutton Goldfield, Sanchietti Ranch:
Clove/nutmeg aroma sits on top in the first sniff, but then the wine reveals black pepper and a dry/underbrush complexity with faint dried herbal and strawberry nuances. Evolved in the glass to show black current/berry fruit with nuances of blueberry. The key to this wine was that it was the tartest of the lot, thus more reined in. A classic that should be aged at least five more years. ($52)
2003, Hartford Court, Arrendell Vineyard:
Fascinating, powerful aroma that starts with a hint of green tea and swirling reveals a classy note of dried herb and cherry with a faint whiff of tarragon in the background. Fairly concentrated in the mouth, both meaty and slightly peppery. Not unlike the dried thyme of a Central Otago (New Zealand) Pinot, with faint elements of rhubarb, sandalwood, cranberry, a faint touch of celery seed and sour cream. Most complex. Because of substantial but ripe tannins, the wine has prodigious potential. ($75)
2003, Iron Horse, Estate: (to be released around Jan. 1/06)
First note of oak and blunt, faintly over-ripe notes soon dissipate to reveal fresh red cherry/strawberry fruit with herbal (almost eucalyptus) fruit, a note of fresh Damson plum and an aroma trigger than Goldfield called “red delicious apple”. A pretty wine, lighter than most in color and weight, but with a mulberry and “cherry Lifesaver” sort of finish. A tad awkward, but all tasters said it would age handsomely. ($35)
2003, Orogeny:
Oak sits atop fine, bright red fruit with attractive herbal (thyme) and cedar characteristics. Relatively full-bodied with a slightly hot, hard edge to the tannins. Main aroma notes include East Asian spices, faintly candied black berry and cherry with a hint of pomegranate; also some subtle notes of toast and underbrush. A bit more exotic than most, with a faint trace of peat in the finish. ($25)
2003, Tandem, Keefer Ranch:
Both green and black tea and black fruit, strawberry/cranberry jam and a note of pepper with a faint complexing note of shallots. Silky, rich fruit with a generous entry, with a floral mid-palate and local typicality that finishes on a fleeting note of pine tar. A complex and rewarding wine that opened up as it was swirled. ($42)
Green Valley Chardonnay:
Higher natural acidity and identifiable citrus elements are what mark Chardonnay from the Green Valley appellation. Tempering of the acidity through varying degrees of malolactic fermentation adds complexity to the wines without masking the typical fruit characteristics of the region.
Green Valley Pinot Noir:
Typically reserved when young, displaying a regional signature of delicate herbaceousness (dried herbs and tea) with a distinctive dried-berry nature of fruit.
Note: to see how the panel arrived at these conclusions read the complete Record of Proceedings, including tasting notes for all wines designated “Appellation Signature” standing. (see below)
Profile of the Green Valley AVA:
Creation of the Green Valley appellation that is entirely contained within the confines of the larger Russian River Valley AVA was not done without a great deal of thought.
And the thought was rather simple: “My parents had a very sound reason for wanting to do this,” said Iron Horse owner Joy Sterling. Her parents, Barry and Audrey Sterling, had lived in Paris (he as an international attorney) and bought their 110-acre ranch in 1974 after Rod Strong couldn’t follow through on a lease-option he had on the property.
“They had a very sound reason for wanting to create something that was tightly delineated, and it stems from the experiences my parents had in Europe,” said Joy.
“There was no Russian River Valley appellation at the time, but I think we were on parallel courses.” But she said that it was clear from the start that the smaller the appellation, the more meaningful it would be, and the greater Russian River appellation, though cool, was not as persistently cool as was Green Valley.
Sterling continued to say that the regional characteristics of the wines were “vital to the understanding people would have of them, and my parents were thoroughly convinced that a cooler climate was the most desirable place to make great, classic wine. That was not the conventional wisdom of the day.”
Before the Sterlings purchased their property, Strong had assigned Forrest Tancer (who was then working at Sonoma Vineyards, later Rodney Strong Vineyards) to plant the Iron Horse ranch half and half to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The region had already proven successful for those grapes thanks to local grower Warren Dutton.
In 1976, Iron Horse was founded, the second property in the region. (The first, called Russian River Vineyards along the easterly Highway 116, later was acquired by Michael Topolos and has carried his name since.)
The Iron Horse winery opened in 1978, when Chardonnay was produced. “At the time, this was the most westerly vineyard in Sonoma County,” said Sterling. “And the quest to have a Green Valley appellation was based on the desire to have a smaller, more focused boundary.”
Although once within the scope of the original Green Valley appellation plan, the nearby property of Tom Dehlinger didn’t quite fit when a closer look was taken. For one thing, Dehlinger has some south-facing (and thus warmer) portions of his ranch, and “also, his property is on the other side of 116,” said Sterling. “And I don’t know whether 116 should have been the natural boundary, but with the government [the TTB which approves appellations], roads typically trump geology.”
Since the Dutton family was already heavily planted in the area, Iron Horse felt comfortable being the first major Green Valley “name” to develop a winery brand focusing on the Green Valley designation. “But Marimar [Torres] coming in was a huge boost for the area.”
Marimar Torres, whose family operates one of Spain’s most successful wineries, moved to California in 1975 and by 1981 was sure she wanted to make wine, but “It was not easy to persuade my father that I was serious.”
Torres said she looked for a property for two years before finding her ranch just the other side of a hill from Iron Horse. “And it was love at first sight,” she says. “I had a viticulturist advising me, and he said that I could plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but not much else. Well, I said, That’s all right with me. I love Pinot Noir.”
“We began planting in 1986, but it took four years because I was doing my first book.” Moreover, her brother Miguel Torres “was skeptical,” she added. “The soils here are very different from those in Europe, and my brother said I spent too much money on this project.” She paid $8,000 per acre.
“Yes, it was cold out here, and my brother was uneasy with this project, so I went to Davis for a year [in 1988], to learn what the challenges were.”
Encouraged by Agustin Huneeus of Franciscan and assisted by wine maker Steve Test, who consultanted for her first vintage, Marimar Torres’ inaugural vintage of Chardonnay was 1989. Planted later, the fist vintage of Pinot Noir would be the 1992.
“People may forget that, at the time, red wine was on the way down and Chardonnay was on the way up,” she says.
“We have very fond memories of Marimar coming in here,” says Sterling. “It’s nearly 30 years since we founded our property, and now Green Valley is ‘an overnight sensation’ that was 25 years in the making.”
Much to the detriment of the Green Valley appellation, there was another Green Valley in California, located just east of Napa County in Solano County. Wine grapes grow in that Green Valley as well, though it is nowhere near as prestigious. Since both appellation petitions were in the hands of the government at the same time, both petitions were approved with provisos.
The federal ruling allowed each region to use Green Valley, but both had to append their local county name. Thus wineries in the westernmost Green Valley region had to state “Green Valley of Sonoma County” on their labels. However, such a long appellation designation takes up a lot of (label) space, so some wineries simply have opted for the all-inclusive Russian River Valley as their appellation. (The Russian River also being an appellation with better ‘name’ recognition and market cache.)
However, the Green Valley of Sonoma County wineries have now petitioned the government to permit a name change to “Green Valley of Russian River Valley.” The amended name is expected to be approved shortly.
Green Valley AVA varietal stats (2004): 3,673 total acres planted to vines
- Chardonnay, 1,730 acres
- Pinot Noir, 1,590 acres
- Zinfanfel, 100 acres
- Merlot, 50 acres
- Other (including Syrah, Pinot Meunier), 203 acres
So many Chardonnays are produced in America using full malolactic fermentation to convert malic acid to lactic acid that regional characteristics are being challenged and threatened.
The conversion of the sharper malic acid to the softer, more “milky” or “creamy” lactic also has a way of cutting down on some of the more obvious fruit esters. This, in particular, was a factor in what the panel members saw as an element in how Green Valley Chardonnay develops from grape to glass.
Green Valley’s naturally cool climate leaves acid levels unacceptably high for weeks as sugars develop. The hotter weather that can be seen in other parts of the broader Russian River appellation does not compromise Green Valley’s fog bank-induced citrus-y components. Thus, within Green Valley, the natural varietal character remains well into the period of (grape) development.
However, with acid levels near or even above 1%, and pH levels in the 3.0 to 3.1 range, some moderation in both figures needs to be considered. And although not every producer puts his or her Chardonnay through a complete malolactic fermentation, most do and the others do so partially.
And yet, said Marimar Torres, “this region’s Chardonnay is really a reflection of the fragrance of our fruit and the balance we get” (despite the use of malolactic).
Lemon oil was the most prominent aromatic component seen in these wines, but Don Hartford pointed out that the Granny Smith apple, with a hint of the local Gravenstein apple, was what added to the complexity in these wines, “and we are constantly looking at layering the textures.”
“The evolution of these wines in the glass is endemic to this region,” said Dan Goldfield. “The better the wine, the more it evolves in the glass, so you can see more and more nuances.”
“We simply have a better overall acidity than the typical Russian River Valley Chardonnay,” summarized Greg LaFollette.
“A lot of this is related to older vines,” said Goldfield. “The age of the vines is a crucial factor. You get far more complexity from the older vineyards, and that’s why we’ll see a real move toward greater complexity as the years go by.”
“But it also depends a lot on the clones we have,” said Torres, who pointed out that her plantings of Chardonnay in the late 1980s were with clones that do not get over-ripe flavors in the longer growing conditions of the Green Valley appellation.
Hartford, whose property is one of the northernmost in the appellation, said that the angularity of the wines before malolactic makes them almost undrinkable if they don’t undergo the amelioration of malolactic, but after they are aged in barrels, “we have more tightness, but then more silkiness of our tannins too.”
Conclusion:
Common to all the Green Valley Chardonnays designated with “Appellation Signature” standing was a higher natural acidity and thus a greater emphasis on citrus elements, moderated by malolactic fermentation. This makes for a most complex and yet still relatively identifiable aromatic signature for Chardonnay from this appellation.
The ”Appellation Signature” wines – Chardonnay
The following wines garnered the Appellation Signature distinction based on overall quality of wine while showcasing a common and defining link with other Chardonnays of the region.
2003, Dutton Goldfield, Dutton Ranch:
Lemon oil, subtle citrus, and crème brûlée, faint hints of hazelnut and dried pears. Relatively lean entry with a soft mid-palate but a surprisingly crisp finish that has floral and spice notes all the way to the end. The finish shows where the wine’s real heart is, in its acidity. Only 13.5% alcohol. ($30)
2003, Iron Horse, Corral Vineyard:
Lime and lemon notes in the early aroma, but as swirled the wine reveals a faint hint of a creaminess, then spice components, with juniper, clove, ginger, tangerine, fresh coconut, and a trace of quince paste. In the finish there is a faint lychee note, but overall the wine displays great harmony of all its disparate elements because of superb acidity. Indeed, one taster said the wine was a bit angular, but others said that was all within the balance of the wine. If there is a question here, it is in the alcohol (14.4%). ($35)
2002, Marimar Torres, Don Miguel Vineyard:
Light spiced lemon oil aroma, relatively lean and not very assertive at first, but the crisp elements (which added a note of lime to the finish) become evident with aeration and the wine developed handsomely in the glass, showing why this wine, which was a year older than the others, was release later: it was backward and needed time to open up. Crisp finish and a nice, barely noticeable, use of oak. ($28)
2003, Dutton Estate, Dutton-Palms Vineyard:
First whiff reveals the malolactic fermentation, but there is also a delicate lemon oil and wizened apple character and a very delicate spice note. Almost sweet it is so succulent, but good solid acidity saves the wine from being too simple. ($40)
The typical Russian River Valley Pinot Noir focuses more on strawberry or even raspberry fruit components. However, over the last few years, as some of the new French clones (notably 667 and 777) have made their way into a dominant position in many vineyards, a riper, harder-edged Pinot has evolved in the region that has the alcohol and weight of Syrah.
In Green Valley’s cooler climate, the wines (generally made from a mix of clones, most of them older) retain more of the black-fruit complexity that, in most vintages, pays homage to the terroir by evincing the endemic character of the appellation is dried herbs or tea.
Such was the case with six of the wines evaluated blind by the panel, and agreed to be exceptional examples of the appellation. The discussion that followed the tasting was lengthy and covered a range from the highly technical to the broadly aesthetic.
However, the primary and universally agreed-on terroir considerations here were a delicate herbaceousness and the distinctiveness of the dried-berry nature of the fruit. “Specific fruit flavors here are less important than the overall impression of the wine,” said Joy Sterling. “There is a purity of the fruit, and no one is using oak to challenge that.”
LaFollette spoke of the “combination of complexity and the finesse,” and Hartford said that “even in those wines that are relatively dense, there is a persistent herbal-and-fruit quality that comes through.”
Conclusion:
Based on this tasting, the Discovery panel concluded that Green Valley Pinot Noir tends to be a bit on the reticent side when young, more so than with most other wines of the western Russian River, and also retains more silky personality (compared with some of the more assertive, higher-alcohol styles seen elsewhere in the region). However, with about an extra year in the bottle, a finesse and a breeding seems to develop that makes for a not only more charming and approachable wine, but one that shows its regional underpinnings with grace and elegance.
The ”Appellation Signature” wines - Pinot Noir
The following wines garnered the Appellation Signature distinction based on overall quality of wine while showcasing a common and defining link with other Pinot Noir of the region.
2002, Marimar Torres Estate, Don Miguel Vineyard “Christina Selection”:
Smoke and gunpowder tea enhance the distinctive dried herbal aroma with hints of fresh strawberry and black fruit. Oak was evident, but certainly in the minority as an aroma trigger. The taste featured a ripe-yet-tart fruit note not unlike cranberries, and the wine developed a definitive sweetness as it aired. A lot of depth here, notably because the wine was released later (it needed additional cellar time to sidestep its “dumb” phase. ($47)
2003, Dutton Goldfield, Sanchietti Ranch:Clove/nutmeg aroma sits on top in the first sniff, but then the wine reveals black pepper and a dry/underbrush complexity with faint dried herbal and strawberry nuances. Evolved in the glass to show black current/berry fruit with nuances of blueberry. The key to this wine was that it was the tartest of the lot, thus more reined in. A classic that should be aged at least five more years. ($52)
2003, Hartford Court, Arrendell Vineyard:
Fascinating, powerful aroma that starts with a hint of green tea and swirling reveals a classy note of dried herb and cherry with a faint whiff of tarragon in the background. Fairly concentrated in the mouth, both meaty and slightly peppery. Not unlike the dried thyme of a Central Otago (New Zealand) Pinot, with faint elements of rhubarb, sandalwood, cranberry, a faint touch of celery seed and sour cream. Most complex. Because of substantial but ripe tannins, the wine has prodigious potential. ($75)
2003, Iron Horse, Estate: (to be released around Jan. 1/06)
First note of oak and blunt, faintly over-ripe notes soon dissipate to reveal fresh red cherry/strawberry fruit with herbal (almost eucalyptus) fruit, a note of fresh Damson plum and an aroma trigger than Goldfield called “red delicious apple”. A pretty wine, lighter than most in color and weight, but with a mulberry and “cherry Lifesaver” sort of finish. A tad awkward, but all tasters said it would age handsomely. ($35)
2003, Orogeny:
Oak sits atop fine, bright red fruit with attractive herbal (thyme) and cedar characteristics. Relatively full-bodied with a slightly hot, hard edge to the tannins. Main aroma notes include East Asian spices, faintly candied black berry and cherry with a hint of pomegranate; also some subtle notes of toast and underbrush. A bit more exotic than most, with a faint trace of peat in the finish. ($25)
2003, Tandem, Keefer Ranch:
Both green and black tea and black fruit, strawberry/cranberry jam and a note of pepper with a faint complexing note of shallots. Silky, rich fruit with a generous entry, with a floral mid-palate and local typicality that finishes on a fleeting note of pine tar. A complex and rewarding wine that opened up as it was swirled. ($42)
