Fetzer Reserve Pinot Noir 1999
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Since 1968, Fetzer has stood by a simple philosophy: What’s good for the Earth is good for the grape, and what’s good for the grape is good for the wine. After Barney Fetzer launched his winery, he helped create the flavor profile that made Chardonnay the nation’s most popular wine variety, and Fetzer’s Valley Oaks Food and Wine Center anticipated the farm-to-table movement.
Fifty years later, the Fetzer collection is grounded in the character of American classics like Fetzer Valley Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Sundial Chardonnay and Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer—iconic wines rooted in thoughtful winemaking and a deep commitment to sustainability. Today, there’s still a delicious bottle of Fetzer to reach for on any night. These are wines that never compromise on flavor and never cut corners on quality.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.