Gary Farrell | Keith Rutz | Russian River Valley | Davis Bynum
Pinot Paradise
by
Anthony Dias BlueRUTZ CELLARS 1999 PINOT NOIR MARTINELLI VINEYARD ($30)
Keith Rutz likes to think of himself as a modern-day cave man. The
first thing he did when he started his small Sonoma winery was to
dig a cave deep in the Russian River Valley. This cool, humid
cavern - the 95 percent humidity is a result of a high water table
and clay soil - is where all of Rutz's wines are made and aged.
Unlike the glamorous cellars of Napa, which might host swank
black-tie dinner parties, Rutz's cave is all about wine. It's
somehow appropriate that Rutz pronounces his name "roots."
Rutz concentrates on just two Burgundian varietals: Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir, and his wines are made in the old-fashioned style, with
minimal handling. The humidity reduces evaporation, meaning that
the barrels don't have to be topped off as frequently, resulting in
less exposure to oxygen. The Martinelli Vineyard Pinot is one of
Rutz's three vineyard-designated reds. It's lush and smooth with
bright black-cherry fruit and lovely structure that segues into a
long, ripe, and balanced finish.
GARY FARRELL 1999 PINOT NOIR ROCHIOLI VINEYARD ($60)
Gary Farrell was one of the first Russian River Valley winemakers
to make a specialty of Pinot Noir after discovering the grape's
potential in this region in the late 1970s. Farrell became
winemaker at the local Davis Bynum and Rochioli wineries in the
1980s, but his first release under the Gary Farrell label, a
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from the 1982 vintage, went on to
become the most awarded Pinot Noir in America.
Farrell is a soft-spoken guy who is low on bluster and big on
talent. In spite of producing Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet, and
Merlot, Farrell still prefers to make - and to drink - Pinot Noir.
He works closely with his growers and contracts grapes from some of
the valley's best vineyards, including his old friends at Rochioli,
where he sourced the fruit for this beautifully intense 1999 Pinot.
It's got gobs of luscious black cherry backed with lively acidity
and a lingering finish that goes on and on.
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