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The landscape of southern Sonoma County features rolling hills, strands of live oak and eucalyptus, herds of grazing cattle, and, lately, vineyards expanding in all directions. For only in recent decades have winegrowers discovered the potential of this foggy and windy location for world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In Keller’s La Cruz Vineyard, four clones of Pinot Noir (primarily Pommard) planted in the mineral-rich clay soils contribute to the complexity of this seductive wine. Each clone is harvested and fermented separately in order to compose a final blend that truly expresses the vintage. According to the winery, “The 2019 La Cruz Pinot Noir shows bright and penetrating deep garnet color with lilac, rose petal, red cherry, and a dust of cocoa powder aromas. The wine exhibits a lovely mouthfeel and texture with a complexity of Bing cherry, cranberry, and juicy strawberry/rhubarb, followed by a balanced and lengthy finish.”
Pinot Noir and Petaluma. 40 years ago, the received wisdom was that California Pinot Noir would never achieve the subtle brilliance of Burgundy and that Petaluma, home to dairy and chicken farmers, was far too cold for vineyards. Funny how things change. Indeed, California Pinots get better each year, and Petaluma may one day soon produce the very best. And that future may not be far off if the young Keller Estate continues down the path it is following.
Keller Estate produces estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (as well as Syrah and Pinot Gris) on a 650-acre property located southeast of Petaluma – near the borderline of the Sonoma Coast and Carneros AVAs. In these rolling hills, cooled by the fog that blows in through the Petaluma Gap as well as from San Pablo Bay, early ripening, “cool climate” grapes are the obvious choice. In the early 1980s, Arturo Keller, an auto engineer from Mexico, and his family founded the estate. They planted vineyards but sold the first vintages of Chardonnay to other wineries. Impressed by the quality of their fruit, they began making wine under their own label from 2000. Today every detail in the vineyards and winery is overseen by Arturo’s daughter, Ana, a trained bio-chemist.
Keller Estate’s vineyards are planted in soils that show all the complexity of being a former seabed. The complexity of the wines is enhanced further by the 9 different clones of Pinot Noir, 4 clones of Chardonnay, and 2 clones of Syrah planted in the vineyards. The wines are crafted carefully and naturally in a stunning gravity-flow winery.
But the key to understanding Keller Estate’s wines is their extreme cool-climate location. Though many vineyard areas in Sonoma and Napa Counties are cooled by fog and ocean breezes, in the Petaluma Gap the fog rolls in a bit earlier and out later; the temperature drops so rapidly, the grapes retain much more crisp acidity even as they ripen and develop rich, fruit flavors. Currently, the Petaluma Gap is within the Sonoma Coast AVA. But if the Kellers and other winegrowers continue to demonstrate the uniqueness of the microclimate and soils, it may become one in the future.
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Appellation(s) | Petaluma Gap (Sonoma) |
| Winery | Keller |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Color | Red |
| Varietal(s) | Pinot Noir |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Bottle Size | 9.0 x 30.5 |
| Case Size | 37.5 x 28.5 x 31.5 |
| Alcohol | 14.1% |
| Product Code | KE19LPN |
| UPC | NONE |
92 points – Wine Enthusiast.
Bright cherry and cranberry play with floral notes and hints of cocoa and forest. A juicy but soft palate of red cherry and cranberry deepens as baking spices, cardamon, and minerals emerge in the finish.
The fruit was fully de-stemmed and fermented on native yeasts. Following the maceration, only the free-run wine was included. The wine was aged for 10 months in 25% new French oak barrels.