It’s that time again: The once-per-year (if we’re lucky) mad scramble to acquire a few bottles of Whitcraft’s old-school, micro-batch Pinot Noirs. Although a young wine, it’s already delicious and masterfully built to age, plus, missing it today severely reduces your chances of acquiring it later on because back vintages, or re-releases, are nearly non-existent. Seriously: When I asked Drake Whitcraft if we could feature any of his library wine, his response was, “No, not really. I make so little wine, I only library a few cases of each. My largest lot is 8-10 barrels, most are 2-5 barrels.” Today’s is a whopping four barrels. 

Perhaps some of you remember the massive, decades-old lineup of verticals that Drake, Brian McClintic, and myself had the pleasure of tasting in 2018. Well, his new releases are just as exciting and today’s “Clone 115” is our favorite of the ’19s we tried. In all honesty, this bottle represents the very best of elegant, authentically crafted Pinot Noir—it always has something profound to say without ever raising its voice which is why it slips into elite, around-the-world Pinot Noir tastings with ease. So what’s the secret to becoming a Pinot Noir superstar? You seek out great vineyards (Pence Ranch), planted to the best Dijon clones (115), and craft organic, non-intervention wines with marked terroir character. No matter how you look at it, today’s 2019 is a world-class wine, on par with some of my current favorites, anywhere. Given its extremely limited production—only 110 cases were produced—we must limit purchases to six bottles per person.

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 eventually took over the winemaking in 2007. Drake took what his father taught him and further honed his skills under legend Burt Williams of Williams Selyem—perhaps the most historically important name in domestic Pinot Noir. 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: These creations have become especially beloved amongst sommelier circles and earned him a top spot as California’s trendiest producers.

Today’s wine hails from a small 4.29-acre block within the “Pence Ranch” vineyard, a limestone and clay outcrop in the eastern reaches of Santa Rita Hills. Drake farms organically and practices many biodynamic principles in the winery—just like his father, Drake is a staunch believer in creating wines 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 so that every ounce of purity and aromatic complexity intact.

Not only is this a youthful wine, but it’s also made in an almost entirely natural manner‚ what Drake calls “real winemaking.” Because it’s unracked, unfiltered, unfined, un-everything (except for the slightest addition of sulfur), I always recommend decanting his younger wines carefully and allowing them to soak up oxygen, at least 60 minutes, before pouring into Burgundy stems. Few producers pull off 100% whole-cluster Pinot Noir so well—DRC and Dujac do it flawlessly in Burgundy, but only the elite can afford those prices. Whitcraft is a solid, affordable trade-off. 

Whitcraft’s 2019 “Clone 115” is an absolute beauty that reveals a hazy yet translucent ruby red hue and jaw-dropping perfume: wild strawberries, muddled raspberry, red cherries, and plum lead the primary-fruit wave followed by turned earth, loose tea, hibiscus, sage, damp rose petal, dried goji, and moss. The medium-bodied palate is wildly invigorating and elegant boasting nuanced layers of just-ripe fruits and beautiful savoriness. Ultra-fine-grained tannins lend supple textures to the wine’s vibrant core and pronounced acidity allows for a lengthy finish.  It’s a gorgeous Pinot Noir, with profundity and finesse that’s on par with the greats of the world. Enjoy one now and open your others over the next decade. Cheers!