2012 Syrah Hidden Terrace Vineyard

Fisher Vineyards remains one of the hidden secrets of Napa Valley and Sonoma. The estate and most of the vineyards sit on the Sonoma side of Spring Mountain, but the Fisher family also owns the Lamb Vineyard in Calistoga, which informs the Coach Insignia and Lamb Cabernets. Readers should also look for the Chardonnays, both of which are terrific. The Mountain Estate Chardonnay is a bit brighter than the more powerful Whitney's Chardonnay. Both wines spend 18 months in oak, which is now practically unheard of in Bordeaux.

I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted at Fisher this year, the Chardonnays in particular. Whitney Fisher has a magic touch when it comes to her Chardonnays, which are among the most elegant and polished being made today in California. The Chardonnays are done with native fermentations and aged without any added SO2. Fisher is one of the few California winemakers who gives her Chardonnays a classic Burgundian elevage of two winters in barrel (the others include John Kongsgaard and David Ramey), which I feel often gives the wines more harmony and texture, especially when the wines are young. Since 2010, Fisher has moved towards larger puncheons rather than barriques for her Chardonnays, another trend I am seeing in Burgundy. The Chardonnays are made from the Fisher family's vineyards on the curving hillsides of the Sonoma side of Spring Mountain, while most of the reds are made from estate vineyards in Calistoga, basically right across the street from Araujo. For the reds, in both 2011 and 2012 the edge goes to the Sonoma wines over those made from Napa Valley fruit. In 2011, the elevation of the vineyards in Sonoma was a distinct advantage, while I find more concentration in the 2012 Sonoma wines over those made from Napa Valley fruit. The generous yields of the vintage might be one reason why that is the case.