At a roughly 900 foot elevation near Philo, Roland and Barbara Wentzel’s 10-acre vineyard is organically farmed within an expansive 300+ acre forested property. The particular plot of land that we get our fruit from is called “the clos,” as it is a fenced-in block situated up the hill. The block, made up of Dijon clones, has north-south rows with a north-west orientation, terraced up a steep hillside, so the grapes benefit from the long afternoon sunlight, tempered by cool offshore breezes.
The 2019 vintage was our final vintage of Wentzel Pinot Noir made under the stewardship of Roland Wentzel. The Wentzels sold the vineyard a couple of years ago, and we have not sourced fruit from the vineyard since. We really enjoyed working with Roland, so it was nice to partner with him one last time and to produce a wine quite fitting of the Wentzel name on the label.
Winemaker's and Vintners' tasting notes: In the final vintage of working with this beautiful vineyard and wonderful grower, this wine displays everything there is to love about the site: beautiful ruby color, intense red fruits, and a crisply framed structure. On the nose, strawberry compote and pennyroyal fill the glass. On the palate, raspberry and strawberry are layered with cola nut, cedar and a hint of dried coconut. Bright acidity underpins the fruit and very fine grained tannins make the wine’s otherwise lithe frame feel a bit of grip and age-ability.
One of our first commercially-produced wines was from Wentzel Vineyard (our 2007 Pinot Noir), and how fitting that this last wine from Wentzel Vineyard reminds us of what it is like being in the valley. It is like driving through Anderson Valley, rolling down the windows and opening up the run roof to let in the fresh air, scents of conifer, mint and sage mixed in with the saltiness of the cool ocean breeze rush over your senses. Drink it all in – now or enjoy over the next 7-9 years.
Details:
Clone: Dijon 114, 115, 667, 777
Harvest: September 18, 2019
Alcohol content: 13.4% by volume
Fruit: whole berry
Fermentation: native
Barrel aging: 17 months in French oak, 33% new (Sirugue, 3 year, elegance, Chatillon)
Bottled: March, 2022
Production: 72 cases
Suggested Retail Price: $47/bottle (750 ml)
Release date: April, 2022
Reviews:
93 Points, Wine Enthusiast (Aug/Sept 2022): A nervy, chewy texture seems to energize the clear raspberry and red cherry flavors in this ruby-tinted, superwell-structured and mouthwatering wine that was grown in the organic Wentzel Vineyard. Aged in 33% new French barrels, it’s not big but is well balanced, sip after sip. —J.G.
