Humboldt is a sprawling Northern California county, with almost 2.3 million acres of land and roughly 1,000 farms—and yet grapevines remain a very minor part of this agricultural mix. We were surprised to learn that there are just 150 acres of wine grapes in Humboldt, but as we continue to discover, what is being grown there is top notch.
The team at the Sonoma-based Joseph Jewell Winery, whose wines we’ve offered before, is especially keen on the Elk Prairie Vineyard, an organically farmed ridgetop site that sits above the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. This is more than just a stunning location: It’s a source of Pinot Noir that competes with the best vineyard-designate wines of California and beyond. Thanks to an unhindered Pacific breeze, high elevation, shale soils, and vines on their original rootstock, the beautiful fruit picked from these vines is highly sought-after. Upon first taste, the wine delivers an incredibly ripe core of fruit that is buttressed by sublime freshness and high-toned aromatics—in short, true cool-climate structure and minerality on a par with top red Burgundies. When I tasted this 2015 I found it strikingly similar to a warm-vintage Chambolle-Musigny, albeit with a touch more depth of fruit. Only three barrels of Joseph Jewell’s Elk Prairie Vineyard were made, so take advantage of this brilliantly expressive Pinot Noir while you still can—it’s direct from the winery, so you won’t find it at a better price!