Rodnick Farm Pinot Noir 2021

Alex Krause and John Locke founded Birichino in Santa Cruz in 2008. Drawing on four decades of winemaking experience in California, France, Italy and beyond, they aim to make wines with the perfect alchemy of perfume, balance and finesse.

Located in the Chalone AVA in the Gabilan Mountains (100km south of San Jose), the vines are organically grown at an elevation of 550 metres and are sourced from old selections of Chalone, Swan and Pommard Pinot Noir that produce uniquely expressive and intensely aromatic wines. The uniqueness and climate of this Pinot parcel is best described by the winery: "We have the rare geology of the Gabilan Range (decomposed granite and limestone seabed, the result of millions of years of tectonic and volcanic activity) to thank for this particular aspect of Chalone wines. The unique geology, combined with extreme diurnal variation, allows Pinot Noir to thrive in an area where all other signals suggest it shouldn't. We still don't know exactly why this works, but we fervently believe it does."

As always at the estate, this wine was vinified naturally and spontaneously using indigenous yeasts. The aging lasts about 14 months in very old barrels before being bottled, without fining or filtration. The wine is very light and reveals seductive aromas of candied cherry , strawberry , blackberry liqueur , raspberry , cedar , sage , thyme , white pepper and graphite. The palate is fine and refined, the juice is pure and the acidity brings the tension necessary for the balance of the wine. The finish is persistent and ends on some mineral and earthy notes.

In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that boosted the California wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa region. At the start of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933 Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the California wine industry so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained producing wine. It was only from 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition and California was primarily known for the production of fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were created (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc...). In 1976, a significant event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris". He sees the greatest French wines opposing the new American wines. This May 24, an unexpected result shakes the world of wine, since to everyone's surprise, it is the United States which wins. However, this competition remains relatively unknown to the general public. Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Even though California largely monopolizes the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the state of Washington offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon.