The SOMM Journal

April / May 2018

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{ SOMMjournal.com } 37 { SOMMjournal.com }  37 Solomon Hills Winemaker Trey Fletcher. PHOTO COURTESY OF SOLOMON HILLS VINEYARDS Chateau St. Jean 2015 Le Seul Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($75) Legendary winemaker Margo Van Staaveren created Le Seul, which translates to "one and only," to showcase the greatness of Sonoma County as a Pinot Noir–growing region. The So- noma Coast is the influencer here in this third vintage of the wine, with grapes hailing from the Gap's Crown and Sun Chase vineyards; both are located in the Petaluma Gap and are blessed by ocean breezes and natural fog pockets. Dijon Clone 777 was used exclusively for this wine, and dark cherry, summer-sweet strawberry, and baking spices are present in the lush texture alongside savory notes of tobacco and licorice. Solomon Hills Estate 2014 Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley ($60) A mouth- filling texture with nutmeg, spiced cinnamon, and red floral tones. Tea and scrumptious red fruit make this wine approachable and inviting. The vineyard is on Garey series soil—a marine-based wine-deposited loamy sand that was at one time a sea bed—while the estate is ten miles from the Pacific Ocean. Chateau St. Jean Winemaker Margo Van Staaveren. J. Lohr Estates 2016 Falcon's Perch Pinot Noir, Monterey County ($17) Grapes from cool-climate vineyards in Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands perform fantastically in this high-flying Pinot. Pommard and Dijon clones make up the backbone of this wine, which is named for the bird that makes its home in the lone pine tree among the vines. Beyond the nose of red tea and oregano, blue - berry develops discretely on the palate alongside ripe red cherries, sage, powdered "talc" tannins, and a lean acidity. What a great value! DeLoach 2015 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($70) This 17- acre estate/garden is one of 64 wineries in the U.S. that are Demeter USA Biodynamic cer tified. The 2015 vintage was the earliest harvest recorded for the winery, leading to developed fruit and rich, ripe flavors. A delicious combo of ear th and magnolia blossom perfumes the air with this feminine and elegant wine, which exhibits a creamy raspberry mid-palate, luscious plum notes, tea tannins, and an iconic Russian River Val - ley persona. Brian Maloney is the Winemaker for Russian River Valley–based DeLoach Vineyards. Mail Road 2013 Mt. Carmel Vineyard Pinot Noir, Blocks 3 and 5, Sta. Rita Hills ($100) Floral and incredibly earthy with ripe pomegranate and blueberry, this is glossy and somehow dusty all at once. The Mt. Carmel vineyard consists of just six blocks cover- ing a total of 22.5 acres, which are organic and, to a slightly lesser degree, dry-farmed. Fruit from this parcel of land in the Sta. Rita Hills tends to show on the leaner side (as does this wine). At Mail Road, this translates as delicate and pretty red and blue fruits.

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