Grape Spotlight: Anderson Valley Pinot Noir through Crosby Roamann

The illustrious Anderson Valley is located in the rolling hills of the northern California coastal region of Mendocino County, 110 miles northwest of San Francisco. It is the wine country we all used to know – approachable, intimate, uncrowded, and primarily owner-operated. -- Anderson Valley Wines

The Anderson Valley AVA encompasses a very narrow, low lying region situated ten miles from the Pacific and at the very northern end of California's prime winegrowing area. It is only one mile wide and 15 miles long covering approximately 57,600 acres (23,300ha) of vines. It is amongst the coolest of California's wine regions where the valley is positioned to allow ocean breezes and fog to cool the area. Rain is plentiful, particularly in the cooler months of November through to March. These conditions forced early commercial wineries into planting Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Riesling where in 1982, these three grapes accounted for 400 of the 582 acres then planted.  However, during the next decade and into the new millennium, growers increasingly experimented with Pinot Noir clones and soon that variety became a dominant force within the AVA. These clones could ripen reliably in the cool Anderson Valley climate particularly during it's hot days and cold nights.  

Crosby Roamann is a Napa Valley with an estate in Los Carneros but that also source's grapes from a range of AVAs for their Single Vineyard label.  The winery was founded by vintners Sean and Juliana McBride who produced their first Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in 2007 at a custom crush facility. Soon Sean was working harvests at White Rock Vineyards and learning winemaking under Christopher Vandendriessche. He spent five years at White Rock while simultaneously making wine at Michael Mondavi’s FOLIO winery for three of these years. In 2015, the couple opened Crosby Roamann in the Crusher District with the estate in Los Carneros.

While sourcing fruit from other regions, the playfully "redub" the vineyard's name to reflect ancient and modern Irish girl names based on Sean’s Irish heritage and their twin daughters. For instance the "Fiadh" for the Fiadh Vineyard in Anderson Valley refers to an Irish girl's name meaning "wild" and "untamed".  This "one-acre block of Dijon Pinot Noir clones is just outside the town of Boonville on the south end of the valley – a warmer climate for Pinot. Biodynamically farmed, the vines grow in a wild yet zen spot on clay silt loam, and grapes are harvested in early September". 

The 2019 Fiadh Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley ($38) is a bright and medium bodied wine starting with a sweet cherry aroma with a bit of black pepper that leads to a pleasant herbaceous and dark cherry profile.  The oak influences of vanilla are present but allow the fruit to dominate.  The finish provides enough tannins and acidity to lift the wine and allow for a lingering finale. A very nice wine. 

'Tis the Season for Pinot

It appears that this is the season for Pinot Noir.  I base that claim partly off the increased number of these wines sent to me with the explanation that Pinot Noir is an excellent Thanksgiving option. Now, I'm not much of a foodie so I can't really validate that statement or share any wine pairings suggestions. But, the Autumn season may be slightly favorable as the weather cools and we shift from white wine focused consumption to red wine. In any event, here are three brands that I received samples from recently and most importantly all are worth considering.

Villa Maria Estate Winery, New Zealand
Villa Maria Estate Winery is one of the largest in a country that specializes in Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and to a lesser extent Pinot Gris. Villa Maria was established in 1961 and was the first 1st NZ wine company to go cork-free (2001). So you can thank them for the rest of the country adopting the stelvin closure. According to the winery: "After many years of experimentation, we’ve found that serving Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris at Thanksgiving is the perfect pairing".

2015 Private Bin Pinot Noir, Marlborough ($18) The grapes were harvested from vineyards in the Awatere and Wairau valleys and are aged in barrels that are toasted while being made. This leads to a distinctive smoky character for this wine that distinguishes it from more fruit forward Pinot Noirs. There are also herbaceous characters front and center with sour cherries towards tail. Bright acids intermingle with smooth tannins.

2015 Private Bin Pinot Gris East Coast ($18) The grapes were harvested from different vineyard sites across three regions: Gisborne, Marlborough, Hawkes Bay. This is a fresh, aromatic wine, initially overwhelmingly citrus, then more pears and minerals. Vibrant acids balance the off dry sweetness.



Lazy Creek Vineyards, Anderson Valley California
Lazy Creek Vineyards is a 40+ year old winery located in California's Anderson Valley AVA, which itself is located 100 miles north of San Francisco in coastal Mendocino County.  Since 2008 the winery has been owned by John and Mary Beth Chandler - owners of Sonoma's Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery. Winemaker Christy Ackerman focuses exclusively on Pinot Noir for both wineries and says that the Anderson Valley provides a climate well suited for Pinot Noir. Specifically, the diurnal temperature shifts allows the grapes to retain acids and the various soil types build character.

2015 Lazy Creek Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir ($22) Uses 100% Anderson Valley Pinot Noir that are lightly pressed (no saignée) that enhances aromatics and tannins. The wine stars with raspberries, then cherries, leading to some saline, creamy texture and a fresh finish.

2014 Lazy Creek Vineyards Lazy Day Pinot Noir ($35) "The 'Lazy Day' Pinot Noir comes from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County where warm, sunny days and cool, foggy mornings and nights create the ideal microclimate for producing this wine. This is a seductively attractive wine, very easy drinking with  black cherries, some cola, and a dangerously smooth finish.

2014 Ferrari-Carano Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($38) The grapes are harvested and field sorted from three ranches in the Anderson Valley. This is a dark bodied wine with a deep cherry flavor, a definite cola character, and light spice. The acids help generate a long finish.

2014 Lazy Creek Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir ($58) Straight off the estate, this a fabulous wine. It is hefty with dark cherries, texture, body, and generous acids.


Left Coast Cellars, Willamette Valley Oregon
We've discussed Left Coast Cellars several times in the past year and are always impressed with their unique Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris offerings. Located on the 45th parallel - similar to Burgundy - the winery produces estate driven wine from their various estate vineyards. These vineyards benefit from cool Pacific Ocean breezes driven into the Willamette Valley that cool the grapes during hot summer days.

2015 Willamette Valley Queen Bee Bubbly ($36) In addition to growing grapes, Left Coast Cellars houses dozens of honeybee hives. This sparkling wine is made using fermented white Pinot Noir juice with the honey fueling the secondary fermentation. In another break with the traditional champagne methodoise is that the wine is never disgorged and sold with a crown cap. Instead the yeast is encapsulated within beads in the bottom of the bottle - leaving the wine completely clear. The wine itself offers many different profiles: apples, butterscotch, minerality, some honey, and plenty of refreshing effervescence. A unique and delicious sparkler.

2015 Orchards Pinot Gris ($18) The Orchards is the winery's prime estate site for Pinot Gris that was once a productive apple, pear, and cherry orchards. This is a fresh wine, great acids with plenty of lemon (but not NZ lemongrass) and green apple flavors. Drink now and often.

2014 Cali's Cuvee Pinot Noir ($24) "Named after the family’s left-handed daughter, Cali, this Cuvée (blend) is 100% Dijon, Pommard and Wädenswil clone Pinot Noir". Most of the grapes are sourced from the Right Bank vineyard described below. This is a lighter styled, easy drinking Pinot that is similar to seductiveness as the Lazy Creek Vineyards Lazy Day. It starts with ripe red fruit and ends with pleasant baking spices. Be careful, this will be gone soon after opening.

2014 Right Bank Pinot Noir ($42) "The Right Bank is a 12 acre hilltop vineyard that consists entirely of Pommard clone Pinot Noir". The herbaceousness is similar to the Villa Maria, but this wine has a more intense and deeper flavor. Sour cherries, some chocolate, a long black pepper finish. What's not to like.