Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/391696
58 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 at home in anderson valley The 11-mile long, five-mile wide Anderson Valley is about a two-hour drive north of Napa Valley. It slants like a pants pocket inland from the cold Pacific Ocean in the northwest, south to the town of Philo. The part nearest the ocean—the part that Domaine Anderson winemaker Jerry Murray calls the "deep end"—is one of the chilliest grape-growing areas in California. Domaine Anderson's 50 acres of estate vineyards are found in several pockets, all of which are in the warmer (a relative term) southeastern part of the valley. Some of the pockets were bought with the founding of Roederer Estate in the early 1980s, but those warmer vineyards were never used for the company's sparkling wine. Then there are vineyards around the winery—the so-called Dach Vineyard, named for a long-ago owner. From these vineyards combined, Domaine Anderson will eventually make about 1,800 cases of Chardonnay and 3,000 cases of Pinot Noir. As Gregory Balogh, President U.S. Operations for Roederer, tells it, the company had been thinking about mak - ing still wines for more than a decade. But the meteor-like success of Roederer Estate had kept the team completely occupied. Finally, in early 2010, right when they were ready to get really seri - ous about still wine, a beautifully planted, brand new vineyard across the street from Goldeneye went into foreclosure. The sale offer landed on Balogh's desk. "The vines were in their third leaf and based on perfect clones. It was a miracle of an opportunity," says Balogh. "We jumped at it." "The fact that there isn't a single, established Anderson Valley style is a huge opportunity for us," continues Balogh. "These days, most wineries put their heavy signature on grapes like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But the PHOTO: AUBRIE PICK Outstanding in their fields at Domaine Anderson: Gonzalo Barragan, Vineyard Manager; Bob Gibson, Director of Vineyard Operations and Salvador "Nato" Guerrero, Vineyard Supervisor. { cover story } "On the palate, we like length over width. We want purity, class, grace and agility." Jerry Murray, Winemaker, Domaine Anderson. PHOTO: AUBRIE PICK