Query: is California Pinot Noir an oxymoron?

Gold medals from the Golden State?

In the old days, when I was first learning to appreciate fine wine – i.e., the early 1980’s -- it was a common assertion that, with a very few exceptions, most California Pinot Noir was boring; the majority of critics felt that they were obvious, heavy-handed and without merit.  Certainly, those days are long past, and there are now many examples that are worthy of our attention.  Wines from the Russian River Valley, Santa Barbara, the Sonoma Coast and the Santa Rita Hills have all attracted both critical and popular acclaim.

However, there is still an ocean of dull domestic Pinots.  Most everything I’ve tasted in the $15 range has a deadly lack of character -- a sameness that bores me to tears.  Regrettably, I’m forced to advise our customers that they have to go above the $20 point to get real quality.  And I’ll confess that I often steer them to Oregon, as my personal tastes definitely lie in that direction. 

And yet, if you’re willing to go near (or a bit past) the $20 mark, there are some excellent wines on the market that hail from the Golden State.  This Wine Face-Off features two Cali Pinots we’ve been featuring recently at the store where I work, and both are bottlings with a host of virtues…

Big fruit marks this accessible Pinot 

2012 Reatta Three County Pinot Noir (California, USA):  Medium-to-deep ruby.  Open nose of sweet red fruit at first; more candied elements appeared later; the sweetness remains, but deepens.  There’s a darker, slightly woodsy note that comes to the surface after a couple of hours of air.  More ripe, sweet fruit on the palate, especially on the attack.  There’s a long finish here with an initial dirty quality that quickly dissolves into a much more pleasant earthiness.  This is a pretty big Pinot, with some easy-to-understand aspects that make it an understandable favorite amongst our customers.  However, there are also some sophisticated features for those with patience and discernment.  Quite fine, especially for fans of riper styles.  *** ½.   (NOTE: After being preserved under inert gas for one day, more sweet fruit came to the fore, along with an interesting olive note.  Overall, however, the wine was simpler and just a trifle less interesting.)

Here's one that evolved in the glass...

2012 Zepaltas Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (Sonoma, California, USA):  Medium ruby.  The bouquet was initially rather muted; indeed, it was hard to distinguish the difference between this and the Reatta.  With air, however, a very distinct wine emerges.  The nose eventually becomes much darker, with menthol and forest-floor scents rising up.  As with the Reatta, there is also a sweet component.  In its first stages, the finish contained an aspect that, to me, resembled what you would have if you were to somehow distill and refine the candy canes some of us had at Christmastime in our childhood.  This sounds as if it might be cloying, but if you can imagine a truly elegant candy cane liqueur, laced with the scent of evergreens, this wine would be a close cousin.  This is really interesting stuff; not simple, and not easy, but highly worthwhile. ****  (NOTE: after being put under Private Preserve inert gas for one night, a much earthier dimension came into play; the sweeter elements receded in favor of rich soil.  Almost – dare I say it? – Burgundian.  Lovely with a simple chicken dish.  The Voyager recommends decanting this wine well in advance of consumption.)

I’m always happy when I do a Wine Face-Off that has a winner, but no losers.  These are both very fine.  In the end, the Zepaltas is for me the better bottle; it’s subtler than the Reatta, and deeper.  I’m sure that there might be some tasters who disagree with my findings, and put the Reatta on top.  In any case, there is unquestionable proof here that Pinot has found some hospitable environs in CA.  And, as has been proven over the years, Pinot in California’s sweet spots is a different animal than examples from anywhere else.  Viva la difference!