I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Napa Valley is one of the wine world’s greatest terroirs. And not just for powerful, saturated Cabernets, either: The famous “Paris Tasting” included Chardonnay, too (lest we forget), and if you look beyond the “valley floor” appellations, there’s no telling what kind of excellence you will find, and from which grape.
Today’s “Rancho Estrella” Pinot Noir from Looplocked resoundingly proves this. This is a stunning Pinot Noir, with minuscule production that reads like a wine from Oregon with major Burgundian tendencies—and it blew us away. The depth of dark fruit and earthy, savory elements would make it a tough call during a blind tasting (I could see myself vacillating between the Dundee Hills and/or riper Morey-Saint-Denis). Comparisons to other regions are helpful to put quality and style in context (quality: high; style: old-school/delicious), but this wine is very much a product of its place. Owner/winemaker Louis Abruzzese refers to the specific part of Napa where Rancho Estrella is located—in the southwestern corner of the county, just above where Carneros meets the base of Mt. Veeder—as “the valley between the valleys.” Nowhere else in the world does the convergence of volcanic soil, fog, sun, and wind combine in the particular way it does at Rancho Estrella. Most importantly though, this patch of land has given rise to one of the most exciting Pinot Noirs out of Napa we have had the chance to taste this year and the price point makes it accessible to many. We are thrilled to offer it as they only make a few hundred cases a year, so don’t sleep on this one—it’s likely to disappear quickly!
Looplocked is a single-vineyard estate wine, making it unique among fledgling winemaking projects. Real estate is not cheap in Northern California and most new wine labels are forced to source grapes from vineyards across the region, rarely owning or farming their own land. When they moved to Rancho Estrella in 2014, owners Louis and Alli Abruzzese were able to take over an established vineyard of Pinot Noir where they control the farming. The ranch itself is a co-op of sorts, where several families live and work. In addition to the vineyard, the land is also home to gardens, goats, and chickens. They take advantage of all the elements of the ranch to provide sustainable, closed-loop agriculture including using the by-products of the animals and their bedding as a natural compost, introducing the local microbiome back into the soil.
Of the ranch’s nine acres, two of them were planted with Pinot Noir back in 2008 (comprising three different clones from Dijon). Located just north of Carneros AVA, close to the San Pablo Bay, the area has a cooler climate than most of Napa. The strong bay wind helps reduce mildew and disease, allowing for easier organic farming. The soil has plenty of volcanic material from ancient lava flows back when nearby Arrowhead Mountain was an active volcano. The resulting geology is a rich mixture of minerals offering diverse flavor elements and enabling good water retention. The soil health has been buoyed by the practice of seeding the vineyard rows with cover crops such as peas, oats, triticale, daikon, and mustard to fix nitrogen and build up organic material in the soil.
The vineyard is picked on the coldest night during the harvest window to preserve freshness. When the fruit is in, Abruzzese de-stems a portion, leaving 30% of the fruit as whole clusters. The fermentation is done using indigenous yeast with minimal extraction. The wine is then aged in mostly neutral oak barrels (2-3 years old) with only 10-15% new. The resulting wine is a lower-alcohol, cool-climate California Pinot Noir with tons of freshness and balance. In the glass, the Rancho Estrella has a dark ruby in the center moving to pale pink at the rim. The aromas on the nose are dominated at first with a dark fruited, musky mix that expands with time and air. I recommend 30+ minutes in a decanter and serving in Burgundy stems at 60 degrees to get the full breadth of the wine’s aromatic potential. Once open, the nose really pops with wild strawberry, black currant, blackberry, cocoa powder, cinnamon, hibiscus, and cherry blossom. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy dried red fruits, black cherry, and pomegranate while containing savory elements of underbrush, nutmeg, clove, and dried porcini. The lasting impression is one of energy and lift, with a long, high toned finish and smooth, easy tannins. While this wine will go with lots of dishes, it will shine with roast chicken and fall vegetables. Enjoy!
