The SOMM Journal

August / September 2015

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38 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 The Fountaingrove AVA, according to the peti- tion that was approved by the TTB in February, 2015, is distinguished by rolling hills and steep terrain, rocky, volcanic soils, plenty of sunshine and moderate day-to-nighttime temperatures. The Intangibles A LOOK AT SONOMA COUNTY'S NEW FOUNTAINGROVE AVA by Courtney Humiston PHOTO COURTESY OF PEACELAND VINEYARDS { appellations } A RED-TAILED HAWK IS MAKING SLOW, WIDE circles overhead. Or, more accurately, over the 170,000 heads of those who live in Santa Rosa, the urban epicenter of Sonoma County. From our vantage point at 1,600 feet on the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain range, the hawk seems to be both beneath us and far away—as does the afternoon gridlock beginning to clutch the city below as thirsty tourists winding their way through the Russian River Valley collide with daily commuters. I'm standing in what is Sonoma County's newest appella - tion, Fountaingrove, with RJ Friedland, a relative newcomer to the area. In 2013, his family purchased the 200-acre estate that was planted in 1998 by John Bugay, who farmed it until 2015. Friedland may be new to the area, and new to the wine industry, but his virgin fascination with his vineyards—29 acres planted in small plots to some 15 grape varieties, each section trained and trellised differently—is genuine and lends a frontiersman-like thrill to the experience of navigating the rocky trails on his ATV. Fountaingrove, according to the petition that was approved by the TTB in February, 2015, is distinguished by rolling hills and steep terrain, rocky, volcanic soils, plenty of sunshine and moderate day-to-nighttime temperatures. In short, everything that makes a mountain AVA different from a valley applies here, but there are some intangibles that lend a special-ness to the Fountaingrove terroir. The air is filled with the scent of California bay laurel and some kind of wild thyme also indigenous to the Mayacamas Mountain Range. Fields of native grass and manzanita bushes with their peeling, picturesque purplish- red bark provide striking contrast and complement to the red and white volcanic soil. "With all the native plantings and a healthy population [of biodiversity], there are a lot of nuances in the wine from here," says John Bugay, who continues to farm several vineyards in the Fountaingrove area. "I think the fact that we kept so much of the surround - ing vegetation in place definitely gives us nuance, mild fla vors . . . not eucalyptus, but a delicate herbal quality. " Winemaker Randall Watkins, who made the wines for Bugay and continues to make the Peaceland label for Friedland, says that "due to the marine air that flows from the Pacific towards the hotter interior valleys of Napa County and beyond" the wines from Fountaingrove achieve full physiological ripeness at lower Brix and with higher natural acidity, making for fresher and more age- worthy wines. Fountaingrove and Peaceland are planted primarily to Bordeaux and Rhône varieties, but there are some cooler pockets on the undulating slopes that make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay possible. "I believe that the uniqueness of the vineyard is the most important factor in great wines," says Watkins.

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