Wayfarer Vineyard’s Estate Pinot Noir: Wine Spectator’s #8 Wine of the Year!
I have espoused the beauty and joy of drinking Wayfarer Vineyard’s Estate Pinot Noir in the past. (See here.) This is a grand opportunity to bring this brilliant wine to your attention again. The 2023 Estate has just been named Wine Spectator’s #8 wine of the year! Yes, I am cheering! Wine Spectator tastes over 10,000 wines each year, and from that they designate the top 100.
Peter Michael Winery: A Remarkable Expression of the Vine
Peter Michael Winery is located in the northeast corner of Sonoma County (California) in Knights Valley AVA. This is the main winery, and several of the vineyards are at this location. A tasting at this property includes a stunning view of the vineyards from 1000 feet up, on the hillside of Mount Saint Helena. Upon arrival, you are welcomed into a tasting room that has the comfort of a friend’s living room and truly feels like a home. This is a warm and open space. The real journey though is by truck. You are driven slowly to the top of the hillside to enjoy the view. Here, they have built a guest space that allows for the magnificent view of vineyards and the valley below. It is a gorgeous expanse of hillsides and vines. The winery is a remarkable commitment to nature.
Kistler Vineyards: A Chardonnay Lover’s Dream
First and foremost, Kistler Vineyards is a beautiful setting. It sits high on a hill with a lovely house and gorgeous views of the surroundings. Vines, hills, and slopes abound and capture the beauty of the winery. This is a short drive into the Sebastopol, CA area and well worth it for the beauty of the setting alone.
Yet the only reason truly to make the trip is to explore the beauty of the wines. Kistler produces twelve single-vineyard Chardonnays and two Pinot Noirs. What is unique here is that the expression of the wine – the Chardonnays in particular – comes from the vineyards.
Newfound Wines: The Name Says It All
Newfound Wines is a new winery that has created a new expression of wines that will impress. This is the endeavor of Matt and Audra Naumann, who began their journey with land in the Sierra Foothills in 2016. They replanted the vineyard in an effort to strike a balance between nature and the fruit. Because their own vineyard is young, they produce wines from other vineyards that are family-owned and organically farmed in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and the Sierra Foothills.
Realm Cellars: “This blessed plot, this earth, this realm…”
After purchasing the wine produced by Realm Cellars for over 15 years, it was a pleasure to taste at their newest property in Calistoga, CA. It is the home of one of their wines, the Bard. The Bard is a Cabernet blend that is rich and well structured. After many iterations of Realm Cellars, it has expanded to include three locations: The Stags Leap district, Pritchard Hill, and now Calistoga. Success does breed success.
Arkenstone: A Gem on Howell Mountain
The predominate varietal from this lovely winery is Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a wonderful winery to visit to grasp the svelteness of tannins and complexity of their wine. The winery sits at 1400 feet in elevation; and the views are impressive, matching the quality of the wine.
Willamette Valley: Standout Pinot Noirs
Pinot Noir is a distinctive variety. The grape itself offers unique challenges and is fondly called the “Heartbreak Grape.” The grape presents growing challenges due to its thin skin which makes it susceptible to weather and disease. It’s also genetically susceptible to mutations. These mutations have led to a multitude of clones. Today, there are at least 1000 clones of Pinot Noir, each representing different characteristics.
Oregon Tastings to Enjoy!
The star of our visit to the Willamette Valley was resoundingly Pinot Noir. The valley provides a rich environment for this variety to bloom – in many ways. What is it that contributes to the quality and richness of expression of this wine in the glass?
First, what is important is the soil. The volcanic rock, marine sediment, and loess (loosely compacted windblown sediment), which formed the vineyards of the valley, became marginally fertile, well-drained soils. This translates to vines which need to struggle just enough during the growing season to produce a mature grape with character and complexity.
The other important aspect is the weather. The average temperatures, along with long daylight hours during the growing season and enough annual rainfall, provide an optimal environment for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Oregon’s Willamette Valley: A Glorious Journey
Oregon’s wine industry consistently ranks as the fourth largest producer of wine in the United States. It is believed that the Willamette Valley’s location approximates the latitude of Burgundy’s Cote d’Or AOC, the motherland of Pinot Noir. It is unfortunately not true, yet it is a fun belief. What does contribute to the success of Pinot Noir in the valley (which it does share with Burgundy) is the cool, rainy climate with warm summers and mild winters. Both regions have ancient mineral soils, and they both have very fertile valley floors. As you might expect, the star grape from the Willamette Valley is Pinot Noir, as it represents 62% of the harvest volume. Whites from Willamette Valley include Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Riesling.
Myriad Cellars: A Winner on Many Levels
I have been buying the wine produced by Mike Smith, winemaker and co-proprietor of Myriad Cellars, since 2008. In most cases, that should be, by itself, a ringing endorsement of his wine.
He honed his craft with one of the finest winemakers in the Napa Valley, Thomas Rivers Brown. Initially, Mike worked with Thomas for free for several crushes (seven to be exact), and ultimately Thomas offered Mike a job. It was in 2006 that Mike was able to purchase grapes and establish his own label with his wife Leah as “copilot.” My first tasting with him was at Carter Cellars where he was established as the winemaker. I was sold on his expertise by then.