Back when I was preparing for my Master Sommelier exam, Geoff Kruth was a mentor to me and a touchstone of knowledge throughout the process. A guiding light to many in the wine business, Geoff created the GuildSomm website, membership and podcasts, which has served as an unparalleled resource for sommeliers around the country. He co-produced SOMM: Into the Bottle with director Jason Wise and has continued to be a beacon of wisdom to the industry while pursuing his organic passion as a producer. What he has achieved with Lost and Found is an example of what real potential there is for California Pinot Noir. One of my favorite Pinot Noirs from anywhere outside France, this wine offers layers of classic aromas, nuance, character, earth and captures the profound expression of the varietal akin to Volnay and Pommard.

 

Lost and Found is an inspired partnership between Geoff and the Bartolomei family, founders of Farmhouse Inn in the Russian River Valley. The 100-year-old estate grows eight acres of heirloom Pinot Noir clones that are picked just when the green flavors ripen from the grapes. Harvest occurs in several different sessions depending on where the grapes are located on the hillside to ensure the perfect level of ripeness is achieved in the fruit. In the cellar, Lost and Found is assisted by consulting winemaker, Megan Glaab, who is incredibly talented and in tune with the credo of the winery. During crush, the riper portion of the hillside is fermented whole cluster while the remaining bounty is de-stemmed. Each clone is fermented separately with only native yeasts in open-topped vessels. The wine is aged in 2-5-year-old barrels then bottled without any artificial adjustments. Geoff opts to hold the wine back for a few years to age in bottle and only releases the wine when it is ready to be enjoyed. This current release, from the 2012 vintage, is perfectly matured and at a pitch-perfect balance that is primed to blow your mind.