2010 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley)

Fred Scherrer is one of the most unassuming winemakers in Sonoma. Working out of a simple, functional building in Sebastopol, Scherrer makes a range of wines from sites in Sonoma and Alexander Valley. These are generally mid-weight wines that spend more time in barrel than is the norm these days, with minimal rackings and a generally non-interventionist approach. Scherrer releases to their mailing list before the wines are put into distribution, sometimes by as much as a few years, so readers may see a wide range of vintages in the market between what is available at the winery and the current releases in shops and restaurants.

Fred Scherrer said that his "public service" policy of releasing and re-releasing wines on a staggered schedule has proven wildly popular with his direct customers."The ones who want to jump on the newest vintage get their shot and people who buy to drink get the chance to buy wines with bottle age," he said.That policy hasn't caught on as quickly with the restaurant trade, he noted, because "lots of buyers are suspicious of older wines on offer.They think that there must be issues, otherwise they'd be sold out.It's kind of weird."All of Scherrer's wines are built to age, he said, "and not just age, but change, or what's the point?"With that, he opened a bottle of his 1998 Scherrer Vineyard chardonnay: it was almost shockingly youthful, with intense spice and floral character and zesty acidity.