Pinot Paradise
Sunday, April 17th, 2005
Pinot Paradise, held on April 10th, was the first annual event put on by the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association intended to showcase the Pinot Noir produced by their members, some of whom produce only Pinot and many who produce other varietal wines as well. Knowing that I was going to have to spend some time blogging the wineries of Santa Cruz, it seemed reasonable to tie in attendance to this event as well. With the rise of Pinot sales and interest (now known as The Sideways effect), it was no surprise that the event was extremely well-attended having sold out three weeks in advance.
Held at the stunning Testarossa winery, the organization pulled out the stops to promote the event to the media, starting with an inviting and cordial introduction by Dave Moulton of Burrell School Vineyards and Winery, Rob Jensen of Testarossa, and Michael Martella of Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyards.
Michael was the one expanded upon the specific of the region, explaining that of the 1,200 acres of vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, 300 acres is donated exclusively to the Pinot grape. The soils are "medium" in density, meaning not too rich in that much of it lies on top of shell and fractures of limestone and sandstone which provides excellent drainage. The roots subsequently work their way into a more minerally substance which is evident in the flavors of the wine; "more about the soils than the bright fruit = more in balance."
Allowing us a little head start before the rest of the public, I was able to start tasting with ease, starting off the bat with Aptos Creek, tasting their 2001, 2002, and 2003 (barrel sample) offerings. The 2001 was their first release and was entirely dry-farmed. In it, I found decent color and bouquet with classic mineral and cherry flavors. The 2002 offered warm, dark berry and spice qualities on the nose. Bright and engaging fruit with more spice on the finish. The 03 barrel sample was intensely fruit-forward with substantial oak aromas that will undoubtedly subside with age.
Next along the table-line was Alfaro Family Winery, pouring several 2003 offerings; Schultze Family Vineyards from Windy Oaks which I found extremely smooth, even, and balanced with mineral and berry qualities. The Alfaro Estate seemed a tad harsh next to the Schultze. Lastly, I reveled in the Gary’s Vineyard which was dark and elegant, with dark raspberry, cinnamon, and clove on entry and an expansive, balanced mineral finish.
I was beginning to figure out the alphabetical system as the next table I hit was Bargetto pouring their 2003 Trout Creek. I loved talking with these folks and regretting not jotting down their names. For years the Bargetto family were wholesale fruit growers who decided to make some wine themselves, now producing 5,000 cases under the Bargetto name, but also producing under a number of different labels including Chaucer’s, LaVita, and Coastal Cellars. I found the Trout Creek to be surprisingly fruit-forward considering the more mineral qualities evident in the previously-tasted wines. There was substantial dark berry and a tad uneven which might smooth out with age.
I was greatly looking forward to tasting the Burrell School after meeting Dave Moulton. They were also pouring past, present and futures of their Pinot offering. The 2001 Santa Cruz Mountain was surprisingly hot with alcohol but exhibited stunning cherry aromas that also paralleled in the mouth entry. I liked the textured mineral qualities and the silky, cherry finish. The 2002 had similar cherry notes but layered with some raspberry. The tannins were well-integrated and the finish even and smooth. Some 2003 barrel samples were provided but I was a bit overwhelmed with the sulpher which was too prevalent.
Byington was tasted next and impressed me greatly. In tasting the 2002 Estate Pinot, I was swayed with a great, heady nose of dark berry, an even, balanced entry, and a long, spicy finish. An interesting contrast was the 2002 Van Der Kamp Pinot from Sonoma. Differing from the normally bright, mineral qualities of the Santa Cruz Mountain Pinots, this was intensely dark and fruit-forward with port-like qualities on the back palate.
Tempting fate (and potentially my palate), I could barely resist the offerings of Cocoa Pete, one of my favorite confectionery. Much has been written about the compatibility of Pinot with food and some amazing local eateries were also in attendance offering some fabulous munchies. The downside seemed to be the growing attendance which must not have been anticipated caused many restaurants to run out of food within an hour or so of the event’s start.
As the crowds were growing exponentially, it was significantly more difficult to get into taste or write notes. I did get to taste offerings from Cinnabar, (2003, bright fruit and signficant mineral) Clos La Chance, (2001 Erwin Vineyard, medicinal; 2002, some raspberry and very nicely balanced) and Clos Tita (1999, oxidized with Band-Aid and medicinal qualities; 2000, green bell pepper and brett; 2001 Estate, fruit-forward with hints of medicine) before heading to the first of several scheduled break-out sessions offered.
Jeffrey Patterson of Mt. Eden Vineyards was the first of five break-out sessions but I was especially anxious as I had met Jeff the previous day at his estate (to be blogged later). He is eloquent, soft-spoken, and extremely passionate about his estate and his wine. During his talk, several vintages were offered for tasting as well. The 2000 was extremely soft and elegant with a hint of smoke on the entry. Exotic, incensey perfume exuded in the bouquet. The 2001 had more mineral qualities. The nose was elegant showing spicy, smoke, and balanced fruit. The mouth entry was a tad thin compared to the 2000. The 2002, however, was heady and elegant showing very bright fruit. Hints of cinnamon and mineral on the finish provided texture and depth. I love these wines…
After Jeffrey’s talk, I started to head back towards the tasting area and was surprised at the number of people eating and drinking wine in an adjacent parking lot. My surprise gave way to disdain as I attempted to re-enter the tasting area when I realized the crowds had swelled in my absence. A few attempts were made to taste the Pinots of Woodside (2001, some mineral – harsh entry) and Trout Gulch (1990, earthy, old, and past its prime; 2000, showing earth and brett, lively tantalizing) before I completely abandoned the idea for want of any reasonable space.
I did witness some attempt at organizers to gather glasses from wineries (apparently, they were not supposed to have them for tasting) as it became painfully obvious the event was either over-sold or simply better-attended than anticipated. I believe the space was well-laid out, even though I prefer having food booths far away from wine pouring booths – something that is rarely done at mass tastings and I feel the aromas of cooking food interferes with quality wine evaluation. Despite that, it seemed as though the space would have been perfect for 300 to 400 attendees and there were clearly more along the lines of 700+. Not wanting to brave the crowds for the dozen or so wineries I had yet to taste, I decamped… but look forward to future events.