It seems to me California Pinot Noir is coming of age. At the very least the state of current California Pinot is a far cry from the era when a few names — Williams Selyem, Gary Farrell and Dehlinger — dominated the conversation.
From Santa Barbara’s Santa Rita Hills in the south to Mendocino’s Anderson Valley in the north, there’s a buzz about California Pinot like never before.
My favorite discoveries over the past year were Black Kite, a newcomer to the Anderson Valley with a stunning array of block-specific Pinots from its estate vineyard, and the well-financed Freestone Vineyard (owned by Joesph Phelps) that straddles the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations.
What is compelling about each is the fealty to structure, balance and terroir. Both wineries have abandoned the old notion of letting the grapes hang so long that the ultra-ripe wines they make are thick and sappy, almost sweet. They deserve all the kudos they get.
I’ve recently come across another California Pinot Noir producer cut from the same cloth, a tiny outfit with a small tasting room off the square in Sonoma. Sojourn Cellars specializes in Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Forget the Cabs. Their Pinots are the stars, and the 2007 Sojourn Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir at $36 is probably the finest California Pinot for the money in the marketplace today.
It’s loaded with gorgeous red-fruited aroma, firm acidity and a hint of minerality. This wine has superb mouthfeel, and exceptional length in the finish for such a young wine.
Three vineyard designates — Sangiacomo Sonoma Coast, Gap’s Crown Sonoma Coast and Demuth Anderson Valley — all from the 2007 vintage, come in at $48 per bottle.
These are distinctive wines that express specific vineyard characteristics, but they all have this in common: exquisite balance and elegance. I rated all four of these remarkably complex California Pinots 90-plus points, and certainly hope other producers come to look at the style embodied by Sojourn, Black Kite and Freestone as the model for the future of California Pinot Noir.
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