As most of my friends and colleagues are now aware, I've been growing grapes and making wine for the past ten years. In 2016, I made my wine at Ross Road Custom Crush in Sebastopol, preparatory to obtaining a license to sell my wine.
I have been fortunate at Ross Road to collaborate with winemaker Lisa Bishop Forbes, who has made more than 80 wines that have received a score of 90 or higher from the Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast for such wineries as Chalk Hill and Dry Creek Vineyard.
My small initial offering of 2016 Pinot noir is sourced completely from my place in Cotati, a cooler-than-average Russian River Appellation locale. In a never-ending quest for the best approach to making Pinot noir, the guiding principle that has emerged for me is something I learned from Bernard Hervet of Faiveley in Burgundy: “Pick earlier, rather than later!” Picking earlier means that the wine will be lower in alcohol, with more natural acidity, producing a Pinot true to type, rather than a Pinot trying to be a Cab (such as one often finds in California).