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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.4 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 58 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by yaCellar on 6/20/2021 & rated 91 points: 2011 vintage, which I tasted a year ago. Some fruit has faded. What remains is still bright and fresh. Underripe cherry/strawberry, Asian spice, loamy/earthy undertone. On the palette is faded fruit and a strong acid backbone. (572 views) | | | Tasted by yaCellar on 5/8/2020 & rated 92 points: I’m drinking from PnP. This wine has held up well. Tanzer’s 2013 review largely holds. There’s an overt loamy core to the nose now, with an iron/blood element, and a bitter vegetal aroma. The fruit has faded faster than the acid. A light dusting of tannin followed by a medium length finish. (686 views) | | | Tasted by Jonny d on 3/17/2019 & rated 94 points: Was a bit skeptical Ehren Jordan's wines could really go some distance but took the risk many years ago. The 2009 Keefer was a great piece of evidence, and this wine nailed it. No question. Dusty dark rose color with a medium clear rim. Cherries, raspberries, and herbs on the nose. Nice savory notes on the mid-palate, restrained acidity, and fully resolved tannins. 20-30 second finish. I'm sold. Great value in an age when great Burgs are out of price range-- drink Failla instead. Failla- may you always remain obscure and accessible! (865 views) | | | Tasted by Edclr on 9/2/2016 & rated 92 points: way too young...but I needed a Failla fix. IT needs another few years to mature. But it's the oldest Failla I have...Cant keep my hands off it. (1705 views) | | | Tasted by CWilliam on 7/13/2016: beautiful. paired great with grilled MonkFish. 92-93 range. (1632 views) | | | Tasted by rebs1 on 1/25/2016 & rated 92 points: same note from 8/26/15 except the heat wasn't present. (1418 views) | | | Tasted by rebs1 on 8/26/2015 & rated 91 points: Raspberry, tart cherry on the palate. nice acidity on the finish. a little hot, otherwise would have been 92+ (1529 views) | | | Tasted by Vinum Bellator on 8/23/2015 & rated 91 points: Agree with previous tasters - only thing I would add is that this wine improved significantly with age. (1432 views) | | | Tasted by vino_per_tutti on 1/3/2015 & rated 90 points: Sour cherry, sage and wild berry on the nose; sour black cherry dominates the palate. Some of the same characteristics as more expensive Sonoma Coast luminaries (K-B, Hirsch), but lacks their depth and complexity. Good QPR. (1144 views) | | | Tasted by ArizonaWineGuy on 11/20/2014 & rated 88 points: Very pleasant wine, a good deal of fruit present. Nothing overly complex, but a good crowd pleaser. (1205 views) | | | Tasted by wendyinwlv on 9/7/2014 & rated 90 points: Very nice, smooth cherry flavors. Went well with the Mediterranean food we had (1250 views) | | | Tasted by Stockhausen on 4/23/2014 & rated 81 points: Nice enough. Bright fruits, low tannin, higher acid than most pinots we like. (1381 views) | | | Tasted by unrelenting on 3/22/2014 & rated 92 points: Highly-structured for Central Coast Pinot. hedonistic, Sea Smoke-like. Top notch (1389 views) | | | Tasted by jon_goodman1 on 1/4/2014 & rated 92 points: great balance. Nice balance of acid and good fruits. Could drink now or in 1-2 years. Glad i have more in the cellar (1308 views) | | | Tasted by Redrunners on 1/2/2014 & rated 91 points: Solid pinot - but not as good as 2009 fort Ross I had last year.
Solid fruit, but a little monolithic and lacking in complexity - cherry, cola, vanilla and spice. (1141 views) | | | Tasted by tbyun on 1/1/2014 & rated 86 points: @ saison. clean, medium body, easy to drink, fruity (728 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 8/3/2013 & rated 93 points: Medium dark ruby color; focused, ripe black cherry, blackberry, black currant nose; tasty, ripe black cherry, tart blackberry, violets palate; could use 1-2 years; medium-plus finish 93+ points (498 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 7/26/2013: IPNC Seminars (McMinnville OR): Tasting. Forward red cherry aromas and flavors. Slightly fat on palate. Slight sweet spice on nose, less so on palate. Good fruit, slightly flabby on finish, so best to drink young. (1558 views) | | | Tasted by stevenjstein on 5/26/2013 & rated 90 points: Bright cherry fruit, with a sleek, silky, texture. (1602 views) | | | Tasted by CWilliam on 5/10/2013 & rated 93 points: Given notes below opened a few hours before dinner but did not decant. Baking spice, cherry, pumpkin spice on the nose. On palate, cherry, black cherry, tart cherry, and mineral with touch of earthiness - medium body, high acidity & very long finish - reminds me of a 1er Cru Burgundy from a warm vintage - my favorite Pinot of the week. 93+ Would buy again - (1337 views) | | | Tasted by ArizonaWineGuy on 5/4/2013 & rated 89 points: Young, a bit tight, but has tremendous potential. Needs to age at least another two years before pulling the cork again. (1107 views) | | | Tasted by vinovin on 4/23/2013 & rated 89 points: Bern's weekend. Pinot opened up after about 30 minutes. Nice fruit and long finish. (1183 views) | | | Tasted by Brsed on 3/29/2013 & rated 87 points: Purchased in Aviara on vacation. Loads of sour cherry. Normally, I really like fruit forward wine but I Thought this was a monolithic without much complexity. Enjoyable and good for what it is but I wouldn't buy multiples. (1248 views) | | | Tasted by defnefferson on 3/10/2013 & rated 91 points: Really well-balanced bottle of pinot noir with moderate complexity, good acidity, and nice red fruit flavors. (1204 views) | | | Tasted by wineo11 on 3/3/2013 & rated 90 points: Good wine. Decanted for an hour and it opened up very nicely. Great QPR wine. Would buy again. (1049 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Sonoma and Beyond: New Releases (Feb 2014)
(Failla Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Sonoma...A Thrill a Minute (Jul 2013)
(Failla Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Sonoma Coast) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2013, IWC Issue #168
(Failla Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/3/2013)
(Failla Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Fort Ross - Seaview) Medium dark ruby color; focused, ripe black cherry, blackberry, black currant nose; tasty, ripe black cherry, tart blackberry, violets palate; could use 1-2 years; medium-plus finish 93+ points 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Failla Producer websitePinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.Estate VineyardFrom the Producer:
Coury Clone Block: In the spring of 2000 we took over the farming of what is now our Estate Vineyard from Autumn Wind Winery and Vineyard. Even though the purchase of the property and business would not occur until later that year we were entrusted with running the operation as if it were our own already. The vineyard was only around 22 acres at the time with a good deal of plantable land available. There were also areas that needed to be addressed. This block was one of those. This was originally planted in 1985. It is on a very steep facing at the apex of the vineyard’s hillside. The terraces that had been built to account for the hill’s grade were collapsing making tractor work hazardous. On top of that years of soil neglect had created an extremely untenable growing environment for the plants. We decided to tear this section out and start again. At this juncture Dijon clones were quite fashionable (not they are not now, just more so in an outsized sort of way back then) and since the vineyard was solely Pommard and Wadensvil we decided to plant Dijon 777. The decision never panned out. Despite having the Etzel Block to its west, the Wadensvil Block to the north and the Hallelujah Block (the largest portion of the Estate Old Vine) this block never produced wine anywhere near the quality of its neighbors. For 15+ years we saw harvests produce wines that usually were scheduled for our Willamette Valley bottling rather than something more unique and individual. While clonal makeup is not the defining character of terroir it is an aspect and in this case, we felt that aspect was holding things back. In the spring of 2019, we traded some vineyard management expertise for cuttings off our block of Coury Clone at Freedom Hill Vineyard. Given our success there and at Hyland Vineyard with this unique, Oregon-based clone we felt like we could maximize the setting. In one vintage, not counting the smoke taint-befouled 2020 vintage, we found that we were proven correct. More good things to come from this interesting part of our Estate!
Farming Practices: We have done the management of this property internally since we purchased it in 2000 with the exception of 2014 and 2015 when Sterling Fox’s management service did the work. Also, at that time, the vineyard was switched entirely to organic farming practices and remains so to this day. The vineyard has always been dry farmed.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyFort Ross - SeaviewThe 27,500-acre Fort Ross-Seaview American viticultural area is located in the western part of Sonoma County, California contains 18 commercial vineyards on 506 acres, lies close to the Pacific Ocean and is about 65 miles north-northwest of San Francisco. It lies entirely within the Sonoma Coast viticultural area and does not overlap, or otherwise affect, any other viticultural areas.
Vineyards within this area are generally located on rounded ridges with summits extending above 1,200 feet consisting of steep, mountainous terrain made up of canyons, narrow valleys, ridges, and 800- to 1,800-foot peaks. Areas above 900 feet in elevation, the climate is influenced by longer periods of sunlight and is warmer than that in the surrounding land below.
The soils consist of Goldridge, Yorkville, Boomer, Sobrante, Laughlin, and many other soils within the Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area. Hugo soils are common and are well drained, very gravelly loams derived from sandstone and shale
The most common varietals in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Other varietal are Pinotage, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, Syrah, and small acreage of Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. |
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