2013 Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains)

Thomas Fogarty remains the single most exciting estate in the Santa Cruz Mountain people have likely never heard about. Then again, production levels are tiny. The wines have gone from strength to strength since I started following the estate a few years back. The Chardonnays are intense and phenolic in feel, while the Pinots present an intriguing combination of aromatics, fruit and mountain structure.

In terms of aging, the Chardonnays follow a classic, Burgundian aging regime of about 15 months in barrel followed by 4 months in tank, with the exception of the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is bottled earlier, with about 12 months in barrel, to preserve freshness. The Pinots are done with native fermentations, some stem inclusion and spend 17-19 months in French oak, with the exception of the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is bottled after about 11 months in barrel.

Sadly, production of these already hard to find wines is down significantly in 2013. The drought conditions led to an early bud break, but then a week of cool, windy weather in May led to a poor set. Readers should do whatever they can to taste these fine, handcrafted wines from proprietor Tommy Fogarty and winemaker Nathan Kandler.