West Sonoma Coast - an introduction
The West Sonoma Coast is not an official appellation, but is a region recognised by vintners throughout the area for the quality and refinement of the wines it produces. ‘These wines', Ehren Jordan of Failla tells me, ‘defy most people’s expectations of what California can do.’ We’re standing in the Failla cellar tasting through his many cuvées from the West Sonoma Coast, discussing wines of the region generally.
It is well understood that California can offer big flavour. At its best, Jordan points out, West Sonoma can turn such flavour into concentration with depth, and exuberant acidity with a focus on structure. It can also produce wines that will age. ‘These are wines', Jordan laughs, ‘that typically outlast people’s psychological resolve to age wine.’
In the last several years, recognition for the West Sonoma Coast as a viticultural area (albeit unofficial) has gained steam. Winemakers devoted to the area began speaking up to distinguish their wines from the rest of those produced in the much larger and more diverse Sonoma Coast AVA. Then they established a vintners’ group.
West Sonoma Coast Vintners host events a few times a year, educating trade and invested consumers in what makes the region distinct. The effort has worked. Those in the know have begun seeking wines of West Sonoma as a marker for quality. Still, because it lacks certified AVA status, the region can be difficult to recognise – especially from labels.
The cultural region of West County
‘We are a regional organisation,' Littorai’s Ted Lemon explains, aware that most similar organisations in California are based on a single appellation. Lemon also serves as one of the board members of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners. ‘We didn’t want to be in a rush. Instead, we wanted to get input before delineating an appellation. So, we are a regional organisation that has AVAs.’
The West Sonoma Coast may have viticultural distinction, but such distinction overlaps with cultural history as well. For the TTB, the United States AVA regulatory board, cultural history carries the same sort of weight as geological, climatic and geographical considerations when it comes to defining appellations. All the locals call the area West County.
Recently, however, the use of culture in AVA applications has become trickier. Last year the TTB created a new regulation forbidding applications for a new AVA that overlaps those already established. Intuitively, it’s a control that makes sense. However, after decades of appellations created with overlapping sections, portions of Sonoma County have become confusing, and for some of those regions it can be difficult to suggest viticulturally appropriate new AVAs. Thanks to the controversial expansion of the Russian River Valley AVA into sections of the Sonoma Coast AVA, the cultural region of West County currently overlaps both appellations. That leaves vintners unable to apply for a West Sonoma Coast sub-AVA that includes all of West County. The overlap cuts through portions of the Sebastopol Hills, Green Valley, Freestone and Occidental subzones.
‘Culturally speaking', Lemon, explains, ‘West [Sonoma] County starts at Highway 116. The northern limit is the Sonoma County border.’ The western limit, of course, is the ocean. ‘The southern boundary gets a little trickier.’
Loosely speaking, the southern limit of West County, and the wine region West Sonoma Coast, is the Petaluma Gap, a low point roughly west of the town of Petaluma in the north-to-south coastal mountain range that effectively shields inland valleys from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean.
Thanks to the inland valleys’ higher temperatures, wind is sucked from over the ocean through the low point in the mountain range. With its arctic current, air from the Pacific remains cold. Cold ocean air, then, rushes the gap, creating a persistent wind, lower temperatures, and fog across the inland parts of the county to the east. Portions of the Petaluma Gap are so bombarded by wind that fruit set proves challenging, as does ripening. (The area most affected by the Gap effect is currently under consideration by the TTB as a potential Petaluma Gap AVA.)
What distinguishes the West Sonoma Coast from the Petaluma Gap are the coastal mountains and tightly spaced hills that rise to the north of it. Where the zone of the Petaluma Gap remains largely open geographically, the West Sonoma Coast just north undulates in coastal ridges covered in conifer forest. Low points in ridges of West Sonoma effectively pull in cold air from the south. As a result, the Gap effect feeds the finger valleys of West Sonoma’s coastal ridges with cold air and fog, bringing exuberant acidity with a focus on structure to wines of the region.
The San Andreas Fault
‘These are all coastal ridges made by the San Andreas Fault', Andy Peay of Peay Wines explains. Peay helped establish the West Sonoma Coast Vintners along with Jordan, Lemon, Caroll Kemp of Red Car and Ken Freeman of Freeman Wines. We’re deep in the coastal range on a mountain road so tortuous that even the driver sometimes gets carsick.
The road system and lack of settlement makes these mountains feel remote. Even the slightly easier hills closer to Highway 116 are home to far more forest than houses.
‘These are nutrient-poor soils pushed up by the San Andreas', Peay says. ‘That means lower yields, and harder farming.’ It also means soil diversity. The mountains’ higher elevations include a mix of volcanic and oceanic rock mixed through with sand, and the rolling hills are mostly sandstone covered by sand or sandy loam. Sand remains the common element within the mix. As a result, Pinot Noir with present but unaggressive tannin proves most common.
Elevation changes through the region create distinctive mesoclimates throughout West Sonoma. Higher elevation carries an inversion influence with vines above the fog line more directly exposed to sun. At lower elevations, mould and mildew from fog become a challenge. However, in the southern portions of the region that are more impacted by the Gap effect, setting a crop can be even more difficult than avoiding rot.
What remains common throughout is the coastal influence so that in many of its reaches ripening is only just achieved.
Thanks to this cool climate, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominate plantings in the West Sonoma Coast. However, vineyards producing energetic cool-climate Syrah also exist, as do very small plantings of a few other varieties, including Riesling and the even more unusual Trousseau Noir.
The 2012 vintage proved welcome after the difficult, low-yielding years of 2010 and 2011. In these two cooler vintages there was an increased sense of earthiness, and structure, in the wines. As a result, some wineries held these vintages longer before releasing the wines.
Vintages 2012 through 2014, by contrast, were higher-yielding years. It should be said, however, that for many vineyards in the West Sonoma Coast, such yields are still small compared with those of areas with easier farming conditions. The 2012 to 2014 vintages were also early for the region, with each harvest progressively earlier than the last.
While the 2012s are more vibrantly aromatic, with prettier fruit expression than the previous two years, they seem unlikely to age as well as those made in the harvests before and after. The 2013s, on the other hand, seems to balance vibrancy and fruit expression with the structural strength to help them age well. While still very young, the 2014s currently show the same sort of promise as 2013.
Vintners have just completed an application to establish a West Sonoma Coast sub-AVA, and submitted it to the TTB. The proposed area falls within the already-existing Sonoma Coast AVA. Nestled AVAs are still allowed by the TTB. To avoid overlap with the Russian River Valley AVA, the eastern limit had to be moved west from the cultural distinction of Highway 116. The TTB review process for AVA applications requires a series of steps that include the request for public feedback. As a result, consideration of the submitted West Sonoma Coast AVA is not expected for some time. This series of articles on the West Sonoma Coast and its subzones looks at the viticultural area as understood prior to the TTB restriction on overlap; that is, as it is recognised culturally.
TASTING NOTES
The following 53 tasting notes highlight those wineries that I think are doing particularly distinctive work in the West Sonoma Coast. Suggested drinking windows are conservative.
WAYFARER
A newly launched project from the Pahlmeyer family. Winemaker Bibiana González Rave focuses on allestate
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from a high-elevation site in the Fort Ross-Seaview sub-AVA.
Wayfarer, Wayfarer Vineyard Chardonnay 2013 Fort Ross-Seaview
With notes of mixed citrus, both leaf and oil, and a long saline crunchy finish, the Wayfarer Chardonnay is crisp with a mouthwatering, lightly creamy mid palate, a rush of flavour, and long finish. Clean, fresh, energetic. (ECB)
14.5%
Drink 2015-2020
$80 RRP 17.5 / 20
Wayfarer, Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013 Fort Ross-Seaview
Fresh, clean, rocky red-fruit aromatics carry forward into the palate framed by pleasantly tactile tannin, a mouthwatering mid palate, and persistent finish. A bit tightly wound now, this wine has longevity, great focus, and is simultaneously delicate and energetic. (ECB)
14.5%
Drink 2015-2025
$90 RRP 17.5 / 20
Wayfarer, Golden Mean Pinot Noir 2013 Fort Ross-Seaview
With both floral and savoury notes, red fruit lightly spiced throughout, the Golden Mean Pinot balances the two extremes of its region – it is both pretty, and full of structural strength. Showing mouthwatering acidity, deft tannin, and a nice mineral cut, this wine opens significantly with air, and will age beautifully. (ECB)
14.5%
Drink 2015-2025
$115 RRP 18 / 20
Wayfarer, The Traveller Pinot Noir 2013 Fort Ross-Seaview
With a more brawny, while still deft, presence than the Golden Mean, the Traveller Pinot shows a well-executed focus on the rocky, structural side of the AVA. Giving notes of red cherry – both bloom and fruit – and savoury, rocky-earth mineral accents throughout, this wine carries energetic acidity, and a lot of depth. The tannin is nicely done here – giving pleasing texture and persistence without even a
hint of aggressiveness. Give this wine plenty of time both in bottle and then when open. It’s worth the wait. (ECB)
14.3%
Drink 2015-2025
$150 RRP 18 / 20
