Joseph Swan Pinot Noir 1997
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The winery was named by Joe Swan when he founded it forty eight years ago. Joe came to winemaking from an unlikely background. In 1967 he purchased a small farm on Laguna Road near the town of Forestville in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. The property consisted of 13 acres of old Zinfandel vines, fruit trees and pasture along with several structures including an old barn and a nearly 100 year old house.
Although nearly 50 years old, Joseph Swan Vineyards is still young at heart. The passion and curiosity that Joe Swan brought to his craft are still evident in the winery today. Located in the heart of the famed Russian River Valley, now often proclaimed ground zero for great pinot noir, we embrace the artisanal spirit that defines this amazing growing region. The wineries roots were in old vine zinfandel and estate chardonnay and pinot noir. Today, we continue to embrace those wines but also, in recognition of the amazing quality and personality grapes grown by talented and dedicated winegrowers can achieve in this wonderful region, we have added a number of other wines to our portfolio. Each of our wines is a unique expression of its terroir and the vintage. While all carry the hallmark winery signature of balance and personality, they span a broad range of aromas, flavors and textures. As our winemaker often says, “the journey is often more exciting than the destination”. Come and join the journey with us!
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.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.