California continues to have one of the most dynamic and exciting wine scenes in the world. This should not surprise anyone: Our vast Golden State is replete with geographical diversity and enterprising, envelope-pushing winemakers. What may be surprising, however, is that many of these winemakers don’t own any land or facilities. Instead, these passion-project operators scour the state in search of dedicated growers to partner with while jockeying for limited space in custom-crush facilities. The result has paved a fascinating path for some of California’s purest, tastiest, and trendiest wines.
Like most of his contemporaries, Ben Herod of Nue Wilde is a micro-négociant working with a far-flung assortment of growers. He parlayed his wine distributor experience and routine exposure to the world’s best labels into an exciting project, turning out stylish and thoughtful bottles of his own. This is our second offer from Ben, and today it’s a joyfully fresh and supple Pinot Noir from a single vineyard in Sonoma County. Now’s your chance to snap up an emergent voice determined to make some of the most engaging wines in Northern California!
Launched in 2018, Nue Wilde is a bonafide one-man show dedicated to monovarietal and single-vineyard wines fermented only from wild yeasts. Ben’s minimalistic winemaking approach pays off in spades, allowing for wines to profoundly (and deliciously) elaborate a sense of place. In a short time, he’s easily demonstrated that California can offer wines of real character, and at a modest tariff. It’s a quixotic quest, and how Ben can afford to keep prices low on ridiculously good Sonoma County Pinot Noir is beyond our knowledge. Even more impressive is the sheer range of wines and vineyards he juggles, undoubtedly causing him to rack up some serious mileage traversing the state: there’s Sémillon from Lake County, several unique bottlings from Lodi, and Pinot Noirs from Monterey and the Sonoma Coast, home of the grapes for today’s exemplary and stunningly well-priced offering.
For this outstanding Pinot Noir, Ben turned to the Flocchini Vineyard in the southern end of the Petaluma Gap, just 3 miles from the cooling influence of San Pablo Bay, where temperatures largely stay in the sixties during the long growing season. Like the neighboring Griffin’s Lair Vineyard, the strong daily winds delay ripening, allowing incredible flavor development with low sugar, for deep, balanced wines. Mature, heritage clones of Pinot Noir (including Swan, Pommard, and “suitcase” La Tâche selections) add further complexity. Longtime dairymen and brothers Andrew and Nick Flocchini were born on this land and have tended it for decades. Their “second act” has turned this farm into a new source for top-notch wine grapes.
The end result is the kind of wine you get when someone who tastes broadly and regularly is at the controls. Having access to great wines from all over the world lends an invaluable perspective, and Ben embraces the ethos that great wine is “grown,” not “made.” To that end, Ben showed a light hand in the cellar for today’s cuvée. At harvest, he started by foot-treading the majority of the fruit for a gentle extraction. Twice-daily manual punch-downs built structure until the fruit was pressed. Afterward, the must settled for 24 hours, and the clear wine was then drawn into neutral Burgundy barrels for fermentation and aging. It remained in barrel for 18 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Just 200 cases were produced.
And at just $39, you’ll definitely want a large stash for any occasion (or no occasion!) where a bright, juicy red wine is just the ticket. On the elegant, perfumed nose, you’ll find plenty of red and blue fruits mingling with floral notes and earthy brambles, rising up from the inviting crimson robe. On the palate, more red fruits—cherries and damsons—harmonize with tea leaf, minerals, and spice, backed by fine tannins and fresh acids, all leading to a long, persistent finish. It’s a complete and approachable bottle, brimming with a real sense of place and an easygoing style. Consumed now and over the next couple years, it will be a versatile partner at the table, easily accompanying a celebratory meal or a casual weekday supper, like in the following recipe. Serve on the cool side (55-60 degrees) in Burgundy stems.
