You might not believe it by the verdant land in the above photo, but the original 2-acre vineyard narrowly escaped engulfment by a raging forest fire less than a year ago.  ​It was refreshing to see how nicely the mountains have recovered. 

​The new vineyard includes a bit of gamay, but only enough for one barrel. Dennis loves Cru Beaujolais, and "theoretically, this site should be ideal for gamay," he says, due to the granite soils. "As our plants age and as we add different clones, I think we're going to make good pinot noir. But I think we're also going to find that our site would be much better for Beaujolais-style wine." Personally, I'm hoping for some Passetoutgrains-style bottlings, and there is also talk of potential aligoté (fingers crossed!). 

To test indigenous yeasts, they'll get a small fermentation going in the vineyard. Then, they'll smell it. If there are off-odors, they've only lost a tiny amount of grapes. If it smells good, they'll add more grapes to it and encourage the microbiology that is already there. 

In 2016, the Vroomans began to experiment with stems by including 25% whole-cluster to the pinot noir fermentation, which can significantly change a wine's character, especially when it comes to aromatics. I'll be curious to taste it on release, and also to see how whole cluster might come to be used at Ankida Ridge. 
             
In their 6-7 years of winegrowing, Ankida Ridge has dialed in a house style. Their inaugural vintage of 2010 made an impact on the international wine community, and if they released another bold and ripe wine like it, they might get the kind of accolades that ripe pinot noirs tend to receive. But as Ankida Ridge moves toward an estate model, their style has shifted toward a kind of winemaking that matches their home harvest by showcasing mountain aromas and highlighting a play between acid and subtle fruit. They pick at a lower Brix, now, and are capturing local nuance and complexity in their recent vintages. 

Dennis says of the 2010 wine, it has "over-the-top flavors and over-the-top aromas." The wine is indeed much bolder and riper than their current bottlings. Special as it was to taste the 2010, it's interesting that Dennis prefers what they are making now, as if he has become a part of the terroir, and his palate has calibrated to their home site. 

Rhone varieties have a storied history throughout California. A few months ago, I traveled throughout the state to chat with winemakers and learn about why they love working with Rhone varieties. I wove their thoughts together into an audio essay-- click here to listen to the podcast episode that tells their story. 

A couple of weeks ago I teamed up with Booth Hardy of Barrel Thief (Richmond, Virginia) and Kim Prokoshyn of Rebelle (Manhattan, NY). We traveled to the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA in search of pinot noir for the Wine & Spirits Magazine Sommelier Scavenger Hunt. 

We learned so much about the AVA! The Santa Cruz Mountains are so special-- this wine region has an altitude requirement which lifts most of the vineyards up above the fog line. You end up with small, meticulously farmed vineyards that on the tops of mountains. The vineyards are often surrounded by redwoods and eucalyptus trees. The smell of the forest can be sensed in the glass. 

Check out our full report here. 

Here is a recent article about Virginia's wine growth. Production, interest, and quality have all increased in the last decade....