Like real estate, making a great wine starts with location, and no grape is more dependent on location than pinot noir. Areas such as Santa Barbara and Carneros at the southern end of Napa have yielded excellent examples, but there is one region where climate, well-run vineyards and outstanding winemaking have combined to produce some of the best pinot noirs in California: the Russian River Valley of Sonoma.
Pinot noir is the final frontier for California winemakers. Great chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons are the norm throughout the state, but the same is not true for pinot noir. “It’s a hit-and-miss thing with pinot noir,” says Gary Farrell, winemaker for Davis Bynum as well as his own label. “You need the right combination of soil, rootstock and climate. It’s very unpredictable.”
What makes pinot noir so difficult to master are the subtleties of the grape. Although the ample sunshine of California allows cabernet sauvignon to thrive and produce powerhouse wines that can age for years, just the opposite is needed for pinot noir. Not only will a cool growing region yield the subtle flavors of cherry or strawberry that are so appealing, it will also preserve the grape’s natural acidity, allowing the wine to improve with time.
Growers in the Russian River Valley all have opinions on growing this fickle grape. “It’s how you treat the grapes that makes the difference,” says Joe Rochioli, vineyard manager for his family’s Russian River winery. Joe and his son Tom, who is winemaker, manage some of the finest pinot noir vineyards in the valley. These are on Westside Road near the town of Windsor. Only 30 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, this is one of the coolest areas in the state, which helps bring out the delicate flavors of the grape. Combine this with the early morning fog off the ocean, which results in less sunshine per day, (and thus a longer, more even growing season) and you have ideal conditions for pinot noir. Low yields (2-3 tons per acre with the best producers as opposed to 4-5 with a typical winery) are also a key factor. “Once you start trying to manufacture pinot noir,” Joe Rochioli says, “that’s when you start to lose the grape.”
Another key is the choice of which clone to use. Clones (a particular genetic variation of grape type) vary greatly, and choosing the right one can make a big difference in color, aroma and other qualities of the finished wine. “Growers are moving away from Clone 13, the so-called super clone,” Farrell says, and are switching to Dijon and Pommard clones (named for towns in Burgundy), because of their low yields and promise of subtle flavors. A great example of this is the 1995 Rodney Strong Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($16). Blended from two vineyards owned by the winery, this is the first vintage to show the qualities of the Pommard clone. The wine has the aroma of best pinot noirs along with strawberry, cherry and spice flavors. It is silky, elegant and soft–a good value. ( At 10,000 cases, this wine has the largest production of any Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, so consumers should not have any problems finding it.)
All the right elements are at work in the Russian River Valley for making great pinot noir, but what makes these wines so special? After all, the Carneros district at the southern tip of Napa also has great climate and uses the best clones. Farrell says fruit from Russian River Valley has elegance, richness and finesse. “Carneros pinot noirs have bigger fruit and more depth,” he says, “while the Russian River wines have less color but more intensity.” According to Farrell, the key flavor in the Russian River pinots is strawberry, not the cherry or tomato flavors of other pinots.
The 1995 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir ($16), made by Farrell, is, medium-bodied, a nice introduction to the area’s pinot noirs with its straightforward strawberry flavors backed by a touch of oak. For a more dramatic example try the 1995 Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($20). This has more intense aroma and flavor than the Davis Bynum. The strawberry flavors are evident, but so too are black cherries and raspberries. This would be a great accompaniment to duck or Cornish hen. It has the structure to improve for three or four years.
The Rochiolis’ 1995 Russian River Pinot Noir ($25) is an excellent example of their belief of intensity yet elegance with this grape. The wine has an aroma of strawberry jam with a hint of clove. The balance of fruit and oak, combined with a long, silky finish provides pleasure now but could age 3 to 5 years longer. Only 3,000 cases were produced; the 1996, to be released soon, may be hard to find as that year’s crop was down more than 20 percent.
Russian River Valley pinot noir has become a hot commodity. Wines have become allocated as restaurants all over the country battle to get a few cases.
Yet despite all the new clones and techniques tried by the growers, it all boils down to a few key things, according to Joe Rochioli:
“Good farming practices, the right microclimate and a hands-on traditional method make the best wines.”
