Sonoma and Beyond: New Releases

By Antonio Galloni

Once again I was struck by the
sheer quality and diversity&nbsp;of the wines I tasted in Sonoma County.&nbsp;At three times the size of Napa Valley, Sonoma County is home to a dizzying array of terroirs, microclimates and grape varieties. Across the ‘border’ in Mendocino County, Anderson Valley continues
to impress with an ever-increasing number of noteworthy wines. Against that
backdrop, today’s generation of young, emerging producers are taking risks and
making compelling wines in all styles. In short, there can be little doubt this
is a fascinating moment in the evolution of California’s rich viticultural and
oenological history.

Vintage 2011

Vintage 2011 will go down as one of
the coldest – if not the coldest – vintage in recent memory. Cold and rainy
weather during the summer adversely affected flowering and significantly
reduced potential yields. The poor conditions lasted throughout the summer,
leading to very late harvests and ripeness at lower sugar levels than winemakers are used to seeing.&nbsp;Botrytis, which was widespread in Napa Valley, was minimal in Sonoma and only really seen&nbsp;in a few Chardonnay sites. The vintage was especially
challenging in places that are already marginal, such as the ‘true’ Sonoma
Coast. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ripen earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, so most
of the fruit was harvested before the late season rains that were so
problematic in Napa Valley.

The 2011 Chardonnays and Pinot
Noirs will appeal most to readers who like tense, mineral-driven wines. At
their best, the 2011s are thrilling, exciting wines with great energy and
tension. Syrah did not fare quite as well, as the wines generally lack
mid-palate pliancy and overall structure, although there are some exceptions
Much the same can be said about the Zinfandels. The average quality of 2011 is
lower than 2012, but there are higher highs and also lower lows, so selection
is critical.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392845559576-Peay2.jpg"> Bud-break
at Peay Vineyards, Sonoma Coast

Vintage 2012

Mother Nature was especially kind
to growers in 2012. Maybe too kind. It was an extremely even year with no real
hardships from a climatic standpoint. Napa Valley saw some late-season heat
spikes, but that appears to have been less of an issue in Sonoma County and the
surrounding appellations. After two years of low production, the vines
responded by setting a very large crop. One of the critical elements growers
faced in 2012 was how much to thin the crop. Decisions range the gamut from
very little to quite a bit. After two years of lower than average production,
the temptation to leave a few more clusters must have been significant. These
are not easy decisions, after all, and the financial ramifications of dropping
beautiful, uniform fruit are quite real.

Of course, every vintage has its
challenges. In 2012, those challenges came in the way of managing logistics. In
many cases, winemakers were simply not expecting the amount of grapes that came
into the winery. Managing tank capacity was a huge issue. Larger, commercial
wineries shifted production among facilities, but that was not a choice for
smaller wineries, many of which had to shuffle things around at the last
minute. A lack of tank space also prevented some fruit from being picked at the
optimal time.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1393950284533-sonoma+preview+cover+final+-+Copy.png"> Kistler’s
Vine Hill Vineyard, Sebastopol

The 2012s are very pretty wines
that reflect an even, temperate growing season with no real shocks. The wines,
both white and red, are generally open and generous, with plenty of texture and
ripe, but not over-ripe, fruit. There is a simple and very pure sense of
pleasure that is abundant in 2012. Quality is much more consistent across the
board than in 2011. Dilution from excessively high yields was an issue in some
spots, while in other cases wines were corrected too much in the cellar to
adjust for the imbalances of the year, but these are the minority rather than
the majority among the estates I tasted. In my view 2012 is a vintage of mostly outstanding wines that
stops just short of being viscerally thrilling or truly great.

On the Edge: Exploring the Coast

In recent years, much attention has
been focused on the westernmost ridges of Sonoma County, where the vineyards
are perched in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, an area referred to as the
‘true’ Sonoma Coast or Western Sonoma County. Specifically, this strip of land
includes the new Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, Annapolis, Occidental, Freestone, Green
Valley and the Sebastopol Hills, although I am not totally convinced some of
the more inland pieces belong in a pure coastal appellation. Regardless,
there is no question that many of these marginal, rugged hillside sites show extraordinary
promise with brilliant Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Syrahs that are well worth
discovering.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392843868968-SonomaHirsch.jpg"> Hirsch’s
original Chardonnay vineyard planted in 1994

Conjunctive Labeling

Readers may recall the debate over
conjunctive labeling from a few years back. Beginning this year any
wine made in Sonoma County must also carry the broader appellation name. That
means wines from the Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Mountain will now
be labeled Sonoma Coast-Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley-Sonoma County and Sonoma
Mountain-Sonoma County. It is unclear to what extent this law will achieve its
stated goals of 1) building more recognition for Sonoma County, 2) increasing
sales and 3) increasing awareness of the individual AVAs that make up Sonoma
County. In my view, the only thing that will achieve these goals is the same as
anywhere else in the world. Producers have to make better wine. It really is that simple. Personally, I think conjunctive labeling is unnecessarily
redundant and dilutes the importance of the individual AVAs, some of which –
let’s be honest – are already quite vast. Still, I am convinced that if the
stated goals of this new law are achieved, and I hope they will be, the driving
force is going to be a small number of winemakers who are obsessed with quality
and who are willing to make sacrifices others can’t or won’t. Let’s take a look
at some of Sonoma’s top producers. Take your pick. Aubert, Littorai, Marcassin,
Kistler, Failla,&nbsp;Dehlinger, DuMol, Kosta Browne, Verité, Hirsch and Peay are some of
the many that come to mind. These producers and their wines do more for the
image and reputation of Sonoma County on a global scale than any law ever will.Editor's Note: Last updated March 3, 2014

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392843877689-SonomaCover.jpg"> Cover and above:
The Octagon House, built by Tom Dehlinger in 1975

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