I’ve never had the sense that Paul Sloan is in any rush to become a celebrity winemaker. After all, he already enjoys a widely agreed-upon status as one of Sonoma County’s most gifted organic viticultural authorities. Called a “pioneer in the vineyard” by luminaries like Rajat Parr, Sloan is credited with bringing Burgundian Grand Cru vineyard standards to western Sonoma and seriously raising the bar in the area. Still, not many people know that Sloan is also the singular talent behind Small Vines, one of the area’s most critically acclaimed boutique estates.
While you won’t search long before discovering unanimously flattering reviews from the likes of Steven Tanzer and Antonio Galloni, actually locating a bottle of Small Vines is considerably more difficult! We’re overjoyed to offer Paul’s outstanding, small production, and exceedingly fair-priced rosé of Pinot Noir. This is a serious, grown-up wine from some of California’s most painstakingly farmed organic fruit. We spent the entirety of December tracking down a weather-fitting wintry rosé that would shatter your expectations, and Small Vines beat out a slew of big names from Bandol to Sancerre side by side. Don’t believe rosé belongs on your table in winter? Think again. This is one of the best in the business.
So why is it Paul has such a Burgundian mindset? After tasting a glass of mature DRC during a work shift in the 90s—a bonafide ‘life-changing’ experience—he began absorbing every bit of wine-related information he could. He shifted his studies to focus on viticulture and, after obtaining a degree, was immediately hired to work the vines by none other than Warren Dutton of Dutton Ranch. Years of being at his side led to Paul wanting more, so Warren gave him somewhat of an ultimatum: either learn French and move to Dijon or make his own unique local imprint. He chose the latter, and in 2005 was able to produce a few tiny batches of wine—their inaugural release was met with massive praise and an instant sellout. Two years later, after visiting more than 250 properties, Paul and his wife, Kathryn, found their gold nugget: a 12-acre Sebastopol ranch with an 1890s farmhouse that met all the “Burgundian” criteria that had eluded Paul for so long.
Still, after such an exhausting process, the work was only beginning. Paul and his family immediately set out planting high-density vines according to organic principles. Today’s bottle is just one of many that proudly showcases the fruits of his labor. For their super-limited rosé of Pinot Noir production, Paul singles out certain parcels of four estate-owned vineyards and literally touches every vine by hand—making over 30 passes in the vineyard throughout the growing year is common practice for him, whereas most everyone else hovers in single digit territory. In the winery, it’s about as natural as can be: 100% organic Pinot Noir; half de-stemmed, half whole cluster; ambient fermentation in neutral French barrels; and unfined and unfiltered bottling after resting in stainless steel. It has since spent an additional 18 months in bottle without being disturbed.
We did a side-by-side tasting of Paul’s 2016 and 2017 rosés and were stunned by the ‘seriousness’ of each. While the ‘17 was brimming with taut acidity and flaunting high-energy perfume and bright fruit, the ‘16 was a perfect representation of just how astonishing world-class rosé can be when allowed to mature a bit. It reveals a beautiful salmon-pink core and gushes with high-toned strawberries, just-picked raspberries, cherry blossoms, orange peel, pink grapefruit, crushed stones, damp herbs, and mouthwatering redcurrants. It is softly textured and lightly plush while revealing a supporting cast of intense yet savory mineral expression. Pushing just past medium-bodied, this is a rosé that explodes with character and texture. One that can easily be enjoyed on a night alone or at a dinner party consisting of connoisseurs. Honestly, if you close your eyes and nose the wine, you may believe it to be top-dollar Pinot Noir instead of “just a rosé.” If you think about it, you’re not wrong. This is from one of California’s great avant-garde organic producers and this sensational bottle of deeply sensual, profoundly layered rosé is a testament to the groundbreaking, micro-batch wines Small Vines is producing. Consume around 55 degrees in Burgundy stems and pair with a whole-roasted turkey with rosemary. Though you can wait until next Thanksgiving—this 2016 has the structure to last many holidays beyond that—I can’t think of a better way to spend a cold January night. Cheers!