Look at the cork in Stéphane Vivier’s Pinot Noir and you’ll see he describes his label as “American wines made by a lazy French winemaker.” Whether that’s a remark on the power of great terroir—which the Sonoma Coast undoubtedly is—or faux modesty, there’s nothing lazy about this taut and beautifully detailed Pinot Noir. Maybe the better word would be “effortless,” as in, a great terroir and an outsized talent producing greatness seemingly effortlessly. Vivier has consulted for several high-profile California wineries, including Hyde de Villaine, the combined effort of California’s Hyde family and Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Aubert hand-picked Stéphane to impart the strictest French techniques on their Californian wines, and Vivier clearly holds his personal wines to the same standards. This is “New World” Pinot with a decidedly Old World soul.
Where it grows:
Vivier’s is a true “indie” label with a disparate array of vineyard sources–all of them blue-chip. The main source for the last 10 years has been the Flocchini Vineyard, an old ranch planted with heritage Burgundy clones, but other additions have included the famed Gap’s Crown Vineyard (which, like Flocchini, is in Sonoma’s windy, cool Petaluma Gap), and the Kosich and Catherine Bonneau vineyards in Sonoma Carneros. Soils are predominantly Goldridge series loam mixed with clay.
Who made it:
Stéphane Vivier grew up in the Burgundian village of Meloisey, not far from Pommard, in the Côte de Beaune. He took to viticulture and winemaking/tasting at a young age, eventually studying enology and landing winemaking positions in Chassagne and Pommard. He eventually connected with Aubert de Villaine (of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti fame) and accompanied him to California to work on the acclaimed Hyde de Villaine project in Carneros.
How it’s made:
This Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a blend of the best characteristics of several different plots to create a layered whole. The wine is aged in used French oak and bottled without fining or filtration. Vivier might joke about being a “lazy” winemaker but his approach is hands-off for a very good reason. With fruit this elegant, any heavy-handed winemaking would eclipse the nuance and natural balance of the wine.
What it tastes like:
It’s at once earthy and sweet: black cherry, spicy California bay leaves, wet earth, and sticky balsamic. The flavor profile is similarly sophisticated, with an intoxicating topnote of candied blood orange and white pepper enlivening an otherwise earth-driven palate. The wine feels smooth as a pebble; tightly knit tannins give it shape without weight, generous and fresh at the same time.
