Epic Day in Anderson Valley with Wells Guthrie

Just got home from a day I probably will never forget. A few of us Berserkers, FMIII, Mike Dildine, Alan Rath, Larry Piggins, myself and a few others, took a tour of Anderson Valley with Wells Guthrie. After a cool windy week on the North Coast we were blessed with a beautiful, calm, sunny day.

We started off at the furthest west that the valley can afford for vineyards at the Kiser Ranch where we saw en Bas and en Haut as well as peeking across the road at a new site Wells is working on named Wendling. The rocky shale soil here is a tough place to grow anything lest vines and this one is dry farmed on top of it.

En Haut

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After Kiser it was on to Les Voisins (Hein, Abel and Henneberg vineyards) Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay

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A remnant of days past at the site we lovingly coined “Chateau Les Voisins”. But don’t knock it, the view is the two photos above.

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After that it was off to High Rock Ranch

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for and incredible lunch

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Big game Chantrelle hunting

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and tasting of no fewer than 15 bottles and 2 magnums.

All in a setting that was breathtakingly beautiful.

Afterwards we wanted to go to sleep but Wells insisted we go to what I would like to call the top of the world. 2,400’ above sea level at Halcon Vineyard/Hawks Butte. A 20 minute drive up a logging road to where the land meets Heaven. The drive itself made me appreciate the relative QPR of this wine so much more.

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Great sites, great wines, greater people. An epic day all around.

Wow - sounds like a great trip! Thanks for including the photos, it makes the story that much better.

I’m looking forward to meeting up with the group tomorrow!

A couple more videos.

Wells doing his best Tarzan impersonation

360 degree view from atop Halcon

Tomorrow should be fun too, see you there!

Brian, thanks for the visual story–really enjoy seeing these. We tasted a lot of different wines today but I walked away from the day with just one note written down, which is the one below. For all the jazz I talk about CA chard not being able to please my twisting palate, this one did it for me, similarly to the 2010 Rhys chards that I will post impressions on at some point soon.

And by the way, I had no idea that Halcon was like walking on the surface of the moon. It is like a another planet up there where that syrah is growing. What an experience to see that soil, that exposure up there where Hawks and Halcon lie. Really amazing.

• 2010 Copain Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone (4/6/2012)
  This wine is not yet released but it has now been bottled and I got an early look at it today. I tasted this wine a couple times over the course of about 2 hours and the second time through, this wine really made an emotional and sensory connection for me. I wrote my notes down but I really don’t need them, as this was a wine that leaves a stamp, a mark. Yellow and green apple, a fennel and spicy note but where this thing lasers is on the finish. Resonates like a chablis, as the crushed rock essence is really powerful and the lemony acidity is bracing and vivid. This 2010 surpasses the 2009, hitting a new level. As for winemaking style, I think this was labeled at about 13.5% and Wells told me this wine was done with zero new wood, and in fact, it’s simply older barrels. Pure chardonnay, done in limestone soil up in a cool elevation. What will be key for me is whether this thing rings my bell the next time I have it but today, this wine was outstanding. Like with the 2010 Rhys Alpine I tried two days ago, this is right there with it.

Posted from CellarTracker

If this is better than the 2009, that is strong words - thanks for the notes, and will be interested in hearing if the follow-up rings your bell as much - thanks Frank

Great stuff, thanks!

Brian

Can’t see the photos. Please post again, I would love to see that 360.

Brian…thanks for the photos. What’s rent in the Chateau go for?

Frank…if that’s your only note, I’d be selfish to say I was disappointed, but if you kicked back and enjoyed the day, then this was the day to do it!

Love Halcon. I think it’s the equal or better of Hawk’s Butte, but who’s counting.

That’s odd. They’re posted here. I have a lot more but haven’t uploaded them from my iPad. The video links are below:

IMG 0100 - YouTube]IMG 0100 - YouTube

IMG 0109 - YouTube]IMG 0109 - YouTube

IMG_0102.MOV - YouTube]IMG_0102.MOV - YouTube

According to their Website it’s $2,500 a day with a 4 day minimum. Wells said the owners are very picky who they rent to as it is their summer home.

I think Frank was having fun.

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Damn, looks like all I can afford is the 5th/6th wheel with the rustic, wood porch but expansive views.

A fabulous day, many thanks to Wells Guthrie and the Copain team for organizing such an entertaining and informative day. It was an eye opener to finally be able to walk the Anderson Valley pinot vineyards. Combine that with Halcon, and Rhys the day before, and you can see why the French like to emphasize that many of their great wines come from vineyards that lie at the boundary of viability for the particular varietal. There are already fine wines coming off these young vineyards, and it will be interesting to see how the results continue to get even more interesting as the vineyards come of age.

Just opened a 2009 Kiser en Bas. delicious. An incredible lightness of being. Quite elegant.
It is nice to see pictures of its roots = its mommy and daddy, so to speak.
Thanks.

I say this with all due respect, you suck, you suck, you suck, I’m so jealous! I hope you guys know how lucky you are, what a great day.

Looking forward to tasting Wells’ latest at IPOB this coming week. The '07 Kiser en Haut I had this past week was truly impressive, will have to look to pick up some 09s if they still have any…

Alan, the 2009 Kisers, both Haut and Bas, are the best ever IMO. I know they have been included in two separate releases from the winery, but not sure if they have finally sold out or not. There are only a couple hundred cases of each produced.

I agree with Lewis on this. They were also best overall Pinots at Falltacular. As of a few weeks ago they were still available.

I was talking to Morgan today at the Bedrock pick-up and he asked me about Halcon. When I started talking about it his eyes got all glazed over and I could see that he’s really interested in this vineyard. He called it sexy. Maybe, someday…

Wow, very cool!

I’ve never heard of En Haute Vineyard, but I’ve always felt that you should be able to tell a great vineyard within 20 seconds of seeing it. That clearly applies to the pic of En Haute! Has anyone had wine off it? It is Syrah or Pinot?