Dear Friends,
I am writing this letter a month earlier than expected. We had a wet winter, a late spring, a mild summer, and a somewhat early fall. All combined result in what may be one of the latest harvests in my memory. To be picking Pinot Noir in October is unusual. That said, the longer the grapes hang in the vineyard, the more flavor they develop. It also means I will be swamped in October, the expected time I would write to you, so I am using my found time to reflect on past vintages and weather.
Two common questions I hear are a) When is the best time to drink Nicholson Ranch wine, and b) What are the best vintages for our wines?
When we send your wine club wines to you, they will have already been aging for at least three years and very often for five years since harvest. As you know, we barrel our wine for two years and let it age in the bottle a bit longer. Our younger wines will show more sweet fruit – pear, apple, and apricots for the Chardonnay and strawberry, raspberry, and cherry for Pinot Noir. They will also offer more texture as the young tannins make an impression on your palate. As the wines age and are five to eight years from harvest, they show more complexity. All that means is that each fruit is less individually discernable as the flavors have now melded together through time. As they age, the wines will also have spice and mineral or earthy flavors. The texture makes a more subtle but lingering impression, like a well-worn piece of clothing. At ages nine and ten, the reserve wines show a nice balance of fruit and spice. Beyond ten years, we see a drop in fruit flavors, making the wine more earthy and “old world” in style.
Aging the wine beyond ten years depends on the vintage. Four factors inherent in the grapes align with aging – sugar, acidity, flavor, and tannins. Most years, the weather allows us to get three of the four lined up. Some years, by the grace of nature, all four factors are in harmony. There is a fifth factor, time itself, that melds the components together in magical ways, such that, the wine can be a wonderful surprise even in years where you may not expect it.
Before I get to the vintage-by-vintage assessment, I would recommend you enjoy vintages 2015 and earlier now. You can keep a bottle if you want to see how they age. Vintages from 2016 to 2020 can be enjoyed now or held longer.
I will highlight the past vintages from 2009 to 2020. The 2009 vintage was considered the best year ever, especially for Pinot Noir. However, many reviewers consider 2019 to be an even better vintage. In tasting Nicholson Ranch wines, both are at an equal level of sophistication. What about the intervening years?
2011 saw early rain that forced winemakers to pick fruit before they were deemed ready. 2013 to 2016 was one of the most prolonged periods of drought we have experienced in California. 2017 had excessive heat, and post-harvest fires that remain seared in my memory. 2018 and 2019 were two years after 2012 when winemakers could sit back and wait for the stars to align. 2020 is still fresh in the memories of many here in California – vast swaths of smoke engulfed vineyards as forest fires burned for weeks.
Vintages all factors were great – 2009, 2012, 2018, 2019
Vintages where the magic has worked – 2010, 2017, 2020
Vintages where the drought helped – 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Vintage 2011 – Good for Chardonnay. not great for Pinot
Here are my thoughts on tasting past vintages.
Pinot Noir – Cactus Hill
Vintages 2018, 2019, and 2020 – Fruit forward and rounded textures. Drink or hold.
Vintage 2016, 2017 – Spice and earth flavors augment the fruit. Drink.
Vintage 2013, 2014, and 2015 – more concentrated flavors – wines are excellent. Enjoy now.
Vintage 2011, 2012 – Most old-world style with spice and earth aromas – past its prime.
Vintage 2009, 2010 – Fruit forward with spice and earthy notes. Both years are excellent. Enjoy now.
(NIRVANA, Dry Farmed and 777 vintages are similar to Cactus. Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Coast will not age as long – drink vintages 2015 and earlier)
Chardonnay – Cuvee Natalie
Vintages 2018, 2019 – Most aromatic, fruit forward (2020 vintage not yet released). Drink or Hold
Vintages 2016, 2017 – Integrated, softer texture. Delicious. Drink or hold.r te
Vintages 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 – These are drinking very well. Great balance. Mineral notes. Excellent
Vintages 2009, 2010, 2011 – Showing aged character of caramel and honey. Interesting wines.
(Spring Hill and La Colina vintages are like Natalie. Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Coast will not age as long – drink vintages 2015 and earlier)
I have seen considerable fluctuations in weather from year to year, but Nicholson Ranch wines are consistent year after year. The consistency comes from farming my vineyards, making the wine yearly, and cellaring them in our underground caves. I have tended the vineyard since 1995, allowing me to get the best from the grapes. I have been a full-time winemaker since 2009, creating a consistent palate for each wine. The wines have aged in the same cellars, enhancing the flavor and texture. In good years, like 2018 and 2019, most wines from across the Sonoma Coast appellation are good. In other years, like 2017 and 2020, good producers will always make great wines.
Enjoy the 2020 Cactus Hill, 2017 Cuvee Natalie and the 2017 Sonoma Valley Pinot in your wine club shipment.
Happy Thanksgiving,
