SommSelect Blind Six
WSET Tasting Note
This wine is deep ruby with purple reflections. The nose has a medium (+) intensity with aromas of bright, candied cherry, raspberry jam, strawberry, raisin, florals, and a hint of pepper and spice. This wine is dry (though jammy enough that it almost seems sweet), with medium (+) acidity, medium tannins that linger in the mid-tongue, high alcohol, and a full body. The flavor intensity is medium (+) with primary fruit aromas of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and raisins shining through. There’s also a detectable hint of florals, pepper, and spice. The finish is medium, and the wine is of good quality.
Producer
Fallon Place is, in their own words, a “San Francisco winery producing single-vineyard designate wines from select vineyards in Sonoma County.” This means that they source fruit from vineyards in Sonoma County rather than owning the land, and they transport the grapes to their winemaking facility in San Francisco to make the wine.
Fallon Place’s focus is on producing premium quality wines from single-vineyard sites in Sonoma County that farm sustainably and organically. At the helm is winemaker and proprietor Cory Michal who studied at both UC Davis and Université de Bourgogne. Michal mirrors his preference for sustainable and organic viticulture in the winery where he practices minimal intervention and uses native yeast fermentations.
Region
Chalk Hill AVA is located in the northeast corner of the Russian River Valley AVA within Sonoma County. This AVA is warmer than most of the Russian River Valley because the area is hilly and the hills block some of the cool breezes coming from the Pacific Ocean. Being further inland also results in a warmer climate.
What does a warmer climate mean? Vintners trade in their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in favor of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc. Bring on the alcohol.
It’s also notable that the area has white volcanic ash soil (even though common sense would tell us chalk) and vineyards are planted on the valley floor all the way up to 500m.
Fallon Place sources their fruit from Landa Vineyard which is on a steep hillside facing southwest. Here the soils are a rocky mix of spreckels loam, river-wash, and felta gravelly loam. The steep slope and well-drained soil produces small, intense, thick-skinned berries from the 40-year-old vines.
Varietal
Zinfandel is not a widely planted grape. It is found mostly in California, where 100-year-old vines aren’t uncommon, and also in Puglia, Italy. Zinfandel is typically very jammy with red fruits like raspberry, blue fruits like blueberry and black fruits like blackberry. The acidity is normally medium(+), tannins are normally medium and the body is normally medium-full. If you like fruit-forward, jammy, and bold, Zinfandel is a great option for you.