Pinot Noir is widely regarded to be the most transparent and terroir-driven grape in the world of fine wine. No matter where it is grown, Pinot’s reputation is to reflect that place and bring forth flavors, textures, aromatics and nuances in the wine that differentiate that site from all others. The two single-vineyard Pinots in your Fall allocation had the same farmer and winemaker, were made in the same winery, used similar barrels, were aged the same amount of time, and bottled one right after the other. But they are very different wines. Terroir, or “taste of place,” is magnified by Pinot Noir, whereas other grapes tend to be less expressive of site. For the past three years, I’ve been a board member of Russian River Valley Winegrowers and heavily involved in a “Neighborhoods” project to illuminate this phenomenon for wine drinkers exploring this special region. But I should back up a minute.
American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs, are the system by which the United States delineates unique areas for growing winegrapes. Let’s just say the system is less than perfect. Russian River Valley, our home AVA for Kanzler Vineyards, is actually part of two larger AVAs, North Coast and Sonoma Coast, and it also completely encompasses the smaller AVA of Green Valley. It’s all a bit convoluted.
To add to the confusion, Russian River Valley is a fairly large AVA with high variability in soil type and weather. In fact, it has more soil types than all of France. Our diversity is a strength in that we can grow many different types of winegrapes very well, but it’s also a weakness in that we don’t have a single unifying marketing message the way Napa Valley hangs its hat on Cabernet Sauvignon. Nonetheless, while Russian River Valley produces excellent Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, really great Syrah and awesome Zinfandel, Pinot has become the first amongst equals.
So in an effort to acknowledge and celebrate the notorious transparency of Pinot Noir, the Russian River Valley Winegrowers association has been quietly cultivating our Neighborhoods Initiative. Neighborhoods are an unofficial and anecdotal way to discuss six unique growing regions within the valley and understand the wines they produce. These sub-regions have been noticed instinctively by farmers and winemakers, and have been discussed and referred to locally for decades, so it makes sense to articulate them more clearly and let wine lovers in on it.
At Kanzler, we primarily grow grapes in the Sebastopol Hills, a neighborhood marked by a series of undulating hills southwest of the town of Sebastopol. This area contains a high amount of Goldridge sandy loam soil, ample access to cooling fog and marine air from the coast, and usually some of the latest ripening Pinot Noir sites in Russian River Valley. Sebastopol Hills wines typically carry spice and savory notes with ample natural acidity and freshness. While there are small amounts of Chardonnay, and maybe a touch of Syrah, the vast majority of Sebastopol Hills is planted to Pinot Noir. Our estate vineyard was one of the first established here, back in 1996 when it was widely believed to be too cold. But my dad Steve, and some wise neighbors and farmers, suspected Pinot would be perfect.
I’m really excited to continue my exploration of grapegrowing and winemaking through the lens of Neighborhoods. There is even a forthcoming UC Davis analytical study that explores biologically active elemental footprints in Russian River Valley Pinot Noir by neighborhood, and how these elemental markers translate into a taster’s organoleptic experience. But that probably deserves a separate newsletter and is better explained by a proper academic!
Most importantly, I believe the Neighborhoods Initiative will be a valuable tool for all wine consumers to understand, appreciate and learn about Russian River Valley Pinot Noir for generations to come.
ALEX KANZLER
Winemaker
