Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/711666
120 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 { northern california } Emphasis on Biodynamics By harvest of last year, Domaine Anderson wines were certified as made with organ- ically-grown grapes and Assistant Vineyard Manager Jane Khoury, who interned in the winery and vineyard for a full year, has over - seen the estate's ongoing conversion to Demeter-certified biodynamic production since 2013."Even in the vineyard, quality is everything—and I believe we can enhance that quality with the use of biodynamics," says Khoury. "What we're looking for in the glass is exactly what we're looking for in the vineyard—balance," she says. With 21 acres devoted to a wildlife cor - ridor, there's a tremendous environmental focus on CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) practices and "fish-friendly farming" along Indian Creek, which runs along the southwest corner of the property. According to Weyrich, the soils at Domaine Anderson are homogenous—layered alluvial gravel and fractured sandstone at lower elevations and harder clay at higher elevations. The estate lies below the western slopes of the Mayacamas range that separates the Anderson Valley from Clear Lake to the east. "We have a lot of microclimates which give us very different wines," says Weyrich, who refers to the west side as "the deep end" and being more Sonoma Coast in style, and the Boonville section of the estate as producing Pinot Noir that is more remi - niscent of Russian River. While Weyrich fine-tunes the estate wines and Khoury and Gibson and lavish attention on the vines, Brand Ambassador Jennie Dallery put the finishing touches on the newly-renovated tasting room which opened its doors in late May. With the estate now in tip-top shape and glasses of Roederer's prestige sparkling 2007 L'Ermitage as a greeting, the Domaine Anderson team welcomed a group of local sommeliers to taste a selection of 2012, 2013 and 2014 releases paired with the farm-to-table signature cuisine of Chef David LaMonica of Mendocino's Café Beaujolais. The sommeliers, many of whom had made an annual trek from San Francisco to spend the afternoon at the estate, offered their observations on the wines and the pairings. In his introduction, Weyrich noted, "All of the wines have an oak profile that's intended to build layers of flavor, but we intentionally select coopers for a restrained expression." Centrist Pinot Noirs Matt Montrose, Sommelier at Michelin two- starred Atelier Crenn, says of the Domaine Anderson 2013 Estate Chardonnay, "Floral with apricot and spicy ginger aro- mas, creamy, ripe cider apple focused on the mid-palate with secondary flavors of vanilla, reflective of a warmer vintage and ideally paired with LaMonica's risotto with peas and shaved white truffle." The Domaine Anderson 2014 Estate Chardonnay captured the attention of the female tasters, including Jennifer Gomez, Wine Director and Sommelier at The Cavalier, with a consensus that while it was "a big Chardonnay, the clean, savory finish" was suited to the table and the chef-grown fava bean salad. The subtlety of 20 percent new oak contributed vanilla and just a hint of dried ginger to focused aromas of pear, crisp yellow apple and leesy, tropical flavors of pineapple with a decided freshness. Weyrich selected two single-vineyard wines, and the Domaine Anderson 2013 Walraven Chardonnay in magnum showed the balanced physiological ripeness achieved at higher elevation, south-facing sites closer to Boonville when the picking decision is spot on. The saline, caramelized crust on LaMonica's seared diver scallop and pistachio pistou dialed up the fruit while meeting the weight of the wine. The dry-farmed Pinoli Vineyard near Mill Creek is the source for the Domaine Anderson 2013 Pinoli Ranch Pinot Noir. Planting was confined to the ridges in early 1900s as they were warmer than the val - ley floor, with cooler blocks to the west. Paired with seared foie gras and cherry jus lie, the wine offered black cherry, rhubarb, camphor, smoke and black tea, a level of complexity attributed to precise winemak - ing that relies on small, four-ton tanks and long, slow malolactic to get the desired amount of extraction. A thyme-dominate za'atar-crusted lamb chop with beet greens was clearly designed as a mirrored pairing for the Domaine Anderson 2013 Estate Pinot Noir, which was decidedly more Russian River in style, with medium-plus tannins, rich red and black fruit and its own resinous notes of thyme and leather. The single-vineyard Domaine Anderson 2012 Dach Estate Pinot Noir completed the meal, with a cheese course from nearby Pennyroyal Farm and compote of early apricots. Montrose notes that it showed typicity for Anderson Valley with a deeper richness and kirsch notes. It was the most floral of the Pinots, with secondary aromas of star anise, vanilla, a complex mélange of dark cherry flavors and a ferrous, iron-like minerality. "Fruit to stem, we're never as lean as the Sonoma Coast," says Weyrich. "It's a centrist style." Domaine Anderson is available through Maisons Marques & Domaines. Sarah Varley, Wine Director, Marlow; Bob Gibson, Vineyard Manager, Roederer Estate; Jennifer Gomez, Wine Director, The Cavalier; and Jane Khoury, Assistant Vineyard Manager, Domaine Anderson, raise a toast to chef LaMonica and the team. 500 Lussan D981 D104 N106 COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES CÔTES VIVARAIS DUCHÉ D'UZÉS