2012 Pinot Noir Demuth Vineyard

Production from the Knez vineyards was about 40% higher in 2012 than it was in 2011, according to Anthony Filiberti. "That sounds like a lot but our sites are cold, and warmer places like down in the Russian River Valley got up to double the previous year's crop," he explained. Filiberti told me that he is trying to make the Knez wines more graceful and has been steadily backing off of aggressive extraction. That means moving to two punchdowns a day rather than three and using more whole clusters to extend the fermentations while adding perfume and structure. For the 2013s he went to an even more gentle single punchdown per day but noted that "there's not a real recipe; that's just what made sense in '13." The Cerise vineyard, in particular, needs to be handled gently, he said, "because it gives so much power on its own" and can make overly muscular wines if it's allowed to.

I continue to be impressed with Knez, a small winery and vineyard in Booneville owned by Peter Knez. Anthony Filiberti of Anthill Farms makes the wines. The focus is strictly on Anderson Valley sites at Knez, including Cerise and Demuth, both top-notch, as well as the estate vineyard, which is just entering production. Native yeasts, minimal racking and low amounts of new oak inform a hands-off style of winery. Overall, the 2012s are a bit more harmonious and better balanced than the 2011s, in keeping with the overall quality levels of the respective vintages. Unfortunately I was not able to taste the 2012 White wine, as it was still in barrel at the time of my visit. I did taste the 2011, though, and found it still a work in progress. Readers who enjoy the finesse of Anderson Valley Pinots will want to check out these terrific new and upcoming releases from Peter Knez and his team.