Winemaker Notes
The Boer is significantly lusher and sweeter than the more tense, stony Antle just a mile distant, though the indelible imprint of Chalone is ever present. A colleague once noted that “every red wine made from the appellation tastes like nebbiolo.” We would refine that, and posit that red wines from Chalone often recall Alto Piemonte - roasted, fragrant, botanical and earthen, suggesting alpine herbs soaked in cherry liqueur, 80% lava bomb and 20% fruit bomb.
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.”
Located in the Gabilan Mountains east of the fertile Salinas Valley, Chalone is named for the nearby Chalone peaks and produces fine Chardonnay and Pinot noir, among others.