WINE OF THE WEEK - 2018 Fleur de California Pinot Noir

(NOTE: Scroll to the bottom of this post to watch a video review of this wine!)

Last week, I had the immense pleasure of attending a curated tasting that was focused on Pinot Noir wines made in the United States. We tasted 15 different examples from around the country, and I must say that were really stellar.

Now here’s the thing. While there is really good Pinot Noir being made in the U.S., it is not the first destination that people think of when it comes to quality examples of wines made from the Pinot Noir grape - that coveted status always seems to go to France, and more particularly, Burgundy. And of course this is with good reason, since the region of Burgundy is undoubtedly the spiritual home of Pinot Noir.

But having said that, I’ve also had some excellent examples from other places. And my tasting experience last week clearly put me in a U.S.-centric-state-of-mind because I went hunting for California Pinot Noir when I went to the store to make my Wine Wednesday selection. An example from Oregon would have done the trick too - but I ended up finding what I had set out to find rather easily!

Let me say this - I don’t like heavily oaked or overly extracted/fruity Pinot Noir wines, so I was treading carefully through the aisles….when I stumbled upon this beauty. An elegant name and label that made me look twice and an AVA that couldn’t be missed when it comes to California Pinot Noir and well, there you have it, the decision was made. Bada-boom, bada-bing :))

And with that, let’s get into this week’s wine!

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2018 Fleur de California Pinot Noir

This cat is already out of the bag, in that I’ve already indicated this week’s wine comes to us from California (and the name of the wine says it all too). But let’s get more specific, because to say a wine comes from California is like saying a wine comes from New Zealand - they are both large places with lots of variation therein. So let me be a little more specific - this week’s wine hails from the Los Carneros AVA in northern California. It is a beautiful example of what the region can offer when it comes to Pinot Noir. Read on to learn more about this wine.

What does this wine cost?

$27.95.

Where does this wine come from?

This wine hails from the Carneros AVA, which straddles both Napa and Sonoma Valley(s), overlooking San Pablo bay. The Carneros AVA is a special place due to its proximity to water and its topography, both of which contribute to cooler, damper conditions than other parts of Napa and Sonoma Valley experience.

While this is California and the weather is still relatively warm and sunny, Carneros is known for its prevalent fogs, windswept conditions and large diurnal temperature fluctuations. There is a gap in the coastal mountains that would otherwise provide shelter known as the Petaluma Gap which gives rise to such conditions. And such conditions are absolutely perfect for a grape like Pinot Noir. The Carneros AVA is also particularly regarded for elegant and high quality Chardonnay wines. Other grapes are also grown here, but are less well acclaimed.

Aside from the two single-varietal wines noted above, the Carneros AVA is also very well known for high quality sparkling wines made from these two varieties.

Why is this wine unique?

The winery that makes this wine is owned by veritable Los Carneros royalty. The wine itself is an award-winning example of the type of affordable wines that come from the Carneros region, when made by knowledgeable hands that really have a sense of place and historical allegiance to a region. See below for more information on who makes this wine.

Who makes this wine?

Fleur de California is the second label of Mahoney Family Vineyards, owned and operated by Francis and Kathy Mahoney. Francis is credited with having started the first new winery in Carneros since Prohibition in 1972 and also largely leading efforts (along with a prominent educational institution) to explore different clonal varieties of Pinot Noir in the region. He is seen as someone who believed in Pinot Noir’s ability to thrive in the Carneros region before the mainstream did.

Today, the Mahoney family owns approximately 162 acres in Carneros, with 149 acres of this land planted to Pinot Noir. They also own several wineries, run as different operations and brands. It should be noted that in spite of owning so much acreage, not all of the fruit grown by the Mahoney family is used in their own wines - they do sell their fruit to other wineries as well. In fact, the Fleur Pinot Noir contains only a portion of estate fruit; the rest is purchased from other growers.

While Francis Mahoney is himself a winemaker, the Fleur de California wines are made by Ken Foster, another very well known California winemaker. Ken Foster has brought renewed rigour and quality to the Fleur de California wines, and the 2018 wines represent the 32nd vintage of this winery.

A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):

Variety - 100% Pinot Noir

Grapes - some estate fruit

Vinification - 12 months aging in 15% new oak

Soil Types - mostly clay

ABV - 13.5%

Residual Sugar - 2 g/L

My tasting notes:

A transparent crimson in the glass, this wine delivers a very fruit forward (but not at all jammy) experience. The purity of fruit is clear on both the nose and the palate! The fact that the winemakers believe in restrained use of oak is also evident.

On the nose, the wine delivers beautiful red fruit aromas along the lines of cherries, pomegranate, raspberries and cranberries. Other aromas include earthy characteristics such as mushroom and forest floor, red florals and a bit of smokiness. On the palate, the wine displays abundant red fruit flavours and a pleasant earthy quality, with very nice and ripe acidity, light tannins and a balanced overall structure. The wine is definitely more reminiscent of a Burgundian-style Pinot Noir than a typically Californian style.

Aging potential:

2-3 years

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

Enjoy this wine with salmon or duck breast for a traditional pairing, or with channa masala and naan for something a little different!

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 90 points

This is a very approachable and affordable California Pinot Noir from a top notch region within the state, and made by the hands of very experienced winemakers and it shows ver well at this price point as a result!

If you’re located in Ontario, you can find this wine at the LCBO under Product #214775.

FINAL VERDICT:

This is a very nice introduction into the elegant and delicious wines of the Carneros region of California - a region that is well known and highly regarded for Pinot Noir. If you don’t want to break the bank but want a light and elegant wine, then this is for you.

If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, I’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop me a line.

Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine! :)

Cheers,

XOXO

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