A couple of years ago, having just joined the SommSelect team, I was handed a taste of wine and asked to take a stab at what it was, totally “blind” in the parlay of sommeliers. After a bit of pondering I announced confidently that it was a red Burgundy, probably Côte de Beaune, from a recent ripe vintage. Well, I got the Pinot Noir part right, but that was it. It was my first introduction to the stunningly great wines of Adrian Manspeaker and his label “Joseph Jewel,” and as today’s “Phelps Vineyard” attests, they are only getting better. You see, Humboldt County has all the natural gifts of some of California’s most celebrated coastal growing zones, indeed, if this wine said “Russian River” or “Carneros” instead it would cost two or three times as much. Humboldt may be the next frontier for great California Pinot Noir, and Adrian may be the next star winemaker in Northern California. This 2021 certainly makes a very strong case!
There may be no one working harder to get Humboldt onto the viticultural map than Adrian at Joseph Jewell. Adrian began the project in 2006, literally making two barrels of wine in his garage, and now sources fruit from some of the most esteemed vineyards in California. But he’s a Humboldt native, and he, more than anyone else, recognizes the potential of this special place. Adrian now bottles no fewer than five single-vineyard wines from Humboldt, and of those “Phelps” is one of his, and our, favorites.
Located in Humboldt County 45 minutes up a dirt road above the town of Briceland, Phelps Vineyard sits at 1,700 feet elevation, overlooking the Mattole and Eel River Valleys, just 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean. This six-acre vineyard was planted by Todd Phelps in the early 1990s to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. This is Joseph Jewell’s third vineyard-designated release from the site. Here’s how the Joseph Jewell team describes it: “Humboldt County sits at the southern edge of the Pacific Northwest, with substantial winter rainfall. The growing season is shorter than in Sonoma or Napa, and bud break is 2-3 weeks later. Harvest extends into October, which is why it is a fantastic place to grow Pinot Noir. The short days and cooler daytime temps in October enhance flavor development and slow sugar accumulation, which allows us to harvest at lower sugar levels with proper phenolic ripeness.”
Winemaking at Joseph Jewel is simple and straightforward; Adrian prefers a light touch in the cellar. For the 2021 he used about 18% whole clusters, everything was fermented with native yeasts in open-top steel tanks, then racked into French oak barrels, 25% new, for 11 months before bottling. The nose of the ‘21 erupts with rich soil character and an outpouring of juicy perfume: raspberry, red plum, wild strawberry, black cherry, tea leaf, orange peel, licorice, underbrush, fresh soil, baking spice, whole clove, river stones. It delivers wave after wave of intense red/black fruit character that falls seamlessly in line with an undercurrent of crushed minerals and spice. It’s medium-plus bodied, luxuriously textured, and undeniably elegant. Pair with Pacific Salmon, roast chicken, or a crown roast of pork.
