Because it represents the very best of classic Pinot Noir, Whitcraft is one of the trendiest names in California wine right now, and is especially popular with sommeliers—this is the name to drop when making a strong impression is necessary. And, when Master Sommelier Brian McClintic and myself recently tasted
a massive lineup of verticals dating to the early ‘90s with owner Drake Whitcraft, their status as one of California’s greatest producers was solidified in our minds. Not that we ever doubted it—Drake learned the craft from his tradition-minded father, as well as the legendary Burt Williams of Williams Selyem, perhaps the most historically important name in California Pinot Noir. As a result, Drake crafts some of America’s top expressions of classically styled, wholly pure, single-vineyard Pinot Noir.
Even better is the type of Pinot Noir in today’s bottle, which you might miss if not carefully studying the front label: Just below “Pence Ranch,” you’ll see in small lettering, “Clone 828.” Why is that important? Well, the geeky side of the wine industry has constantly buzzed about “828” and its alleged origins for some time now: This Pinot Noir clone is said to have first originated from the world-famous DRC vineyard of “La Tâche,” smuggled overseas by an Oregonian winemaker in the 1990s. As scandalous as this may sound, it’s how many “suitcase clones” made their debut in America, a fitting name, due to many of them being enveloped in a dampened newspaper before stashed into a piece of luggage. Accurate or not, one thing is clear: Today’s Pinot is a world-class wine, on par with some of my favorite wines from Burgundy. It’s farmed organically, crafted as naturally as possible, and bottled via gravity with every ounce of purity and aromatic complexity intact. Given its extremely limited production—only a couple barrels—we are only able to offer six bottles per person today until our stock runs out.
Chris Whitcraft founded his eponymous winery in 1985 under the guidance of the minds behind American icons like Heitz, Williams Selyem, and Chalone. His son, Drake, officially came aboard in 2000, and took over the winemaking in 2007, but when Chris passed away in 2014, all eyes were on Drake. Luckily, he took what his father taught him and further honed his skills under the watchful eye of the one-and-only Burt Williams (whose track record speaks for itself at this point). Drake sources from a multitude of special single vineyards, crafting breathtaking wines that have been left to their own devices. And believe me when I say they are quickly gobbled up by wine purists.
Today’s wine hails from a
four-acre block (look for 3W in the photo) within the “Pence Ranch” vineyard, a limestone and clay outcrop in the eastern reaches of Santa Rita Hills. This small block is the only one in the entire vineyard planted to the “828” clone. Drake farms organically and practices many biodynamic principles at his winery—just like his father was, Drake is a staunch believer in creating wine without manipulation. Without any assistance from electricity, all grapes are hand harvested and a whole-cluster fermentation (there is no de-stemmer at the winery) occurs over a 10-day period. The free-run juice is transferred into neutral oak barrels, where it ages without being racked from its lees. It is bottled via gravity in-house without fining or filtering.
In the glass, Whitcraft’s 2016 Pence Ranch Pinot displays a soft ruby core with a slight haze (due to not being filtered) that moves out to a pink-ruby rim. Not only is this a youthful wine, it’s made in an almost entirely natural manner‚ what Drake called “real winemaking” in a recent interview. Because it’s unracked, unfiltered, unfined, un-everything (except for the slightest bit of sulfur), I would recommend decanting this carefully and allowing it to soak up oxygen for at least an hour before pouring into your largest Burgundy stems. Even if you don’t choose to wait (though you should), the nose explodes with beautiful aromatics—they are about as pretty and high-toned as you could imagine: ripe raspberries, candied violets, dried orange peel, redcurrants, licorice, black cherries, rose stem, black tea, forest floor, fresh sage, and an array of sweet spices. The palate is both supple and intense, showing amazingly plush fruits alongside refreshing jolts of crushed rock minerality and savory earth that causes your mouth to water. This is an incredibly tantalizing Pinot Noir and it grabbed my attention from start to finish! Already, it’s firing on all cylinders, but if stowed away from sunlight in the coolest part of your home, will keep evolving over the next 10-20 years, most likely peaking between its 10th-15th birthday. If you’re itching for Thanksgiving food, jump the gun and try the following roasted turkey breast with sage and rosemary. It’s a brilliant pairing that might overshadow the holiday itself when it arrives!
