First off, if you are expecting a typical California Pinot Noir, think again. This wine combines the greatest attributes of Burgundy, Oregon, and California for a price-to-quality ratio that sees no competition in the market. How have I never heard of it?
Wine is so often a game of inches, and this wine is within inches (okay, actually, a few miles) of being labeled with the Gold Standard of California Pinot Noir appellations these days: “Sonoma Coast.” The Chileno Valley Vineyard is at the northern end of Marin County, right at the Sonoma County border, and is very much influenced by the Petaluma Wind Gap, whose push-pull of cool air from the Pacific Ocean (west) and San Francisco Bay (east) keeps vines refreshed and extends the growing season—an important feature of any great Pinot Noir terroir. This is arguably the most important vineyard in Marin County, an area which is nevertheless sparsely planted to vineyards (there are only about 200 acres of vines in all of Marin, which has remained overlooked as a wine zone despite its truly coastal climate). As interpreted by winemaker Jon Grant of Couloir Wines, the Chileno Valley Vineyard delivered woodsy, energetic, evocatively aromatic Pinot Noir in 2014. It’s an impeccable Marin County wine that’s impossible to overlook, without question one of the best California Pinot Noirs I have had this year.
So much California Pinot Noir talks the “cool climate” talk without walking the walk. This 2014 from Couloir walks the walk—it’s highly perfumed and full of energy, and, perhaps most notably, the complex aromatic profile makes you feel like you are walking through a damp forest. It’s one of the best California Pinot Noirs I’ve tasted in some time; I had modest expectations when I first met Jon for our tasting, but immediately upon putting my nose in the glass I knew I was in for something serious. It exceeded my expectations by a mile, with a complexity akin to Premier Cru Chambolle-Musigny or Morey-St-Denis (albeit with a touch more fruit than Burgundy typically delivers). In the glass it is a concentrated dark ruby all the way to the rim. The aromatics are a seductive mix of sweet and savory: fresh black cherry, candied rhubarb, pomegranate, dried wild mushrooms, forest floor, exotic oak spices, and some accents of grape stem evoke memories of serious Burgundy in its youth. The palate is nearly full-bodied, with a core of perfect sweet fruit and incredible purity. This is a producer to watch (even if you might not love skiing as much as Jon and have a hard time understanding the label). While I think it will drink beautifully for several years to come, it is perfectly delicious and approachable now; decant it about a half hour before serving at 65 degrees in Burgundy stems. It’s a textbook “roast chicken” Pinot if I’ve ever seen one, and you know how I love the Pinot Noir/Roast Chicken combo. Here’s a recipe from high-heat maven Barbara Kafka, guaranteed to give you the crispy skin you need to take the pairing to the promised land. Enjoy!