Winemaker Notes
In the late 1970’s Gard Hellenthal and David Hirsch began looking for vineyards north of Cazadero in the hills facing the Pacific. After securing a land piece of land just to the east of Hirsch Vineyards, Gard planted the original vines at Hellenthal Vineyards. Two plantings went in – Old Shop Block and Elliott. We are fortunate enough to be the sole winery sourcing fruit from the oldest vines on the property, affectionately known as the Old Shop Block.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby, the 2018 Pinot Noir Hellenthal Old Shop Block comes from the Hellenthal vineyard, contiguous to the Hirsch property. The "Old Shop Block" contains the oldest self-rooted Pinot Noir vines on the Sonoma Coast. The nose is like a flower unfurling, beginning with floral perfume, segueing to tea leaves and nori and again to rhubarb and blackberry fruit. The medium-bodied palate is still tightly wound at this early stage but features loads of crunchy, spicy fruits with a gently chalky frame and long, layered and fresh finish.
The Sonoma Coast AVA is large in area but, not counting overlapping regions like Russian River Valley, only has a few thousand acres of grapevines—and it’s no wonder. Much of the region is rugged and not easily accessible. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean’s fog and cool breezes limits the varieties that can be cultivated, but it proves to be an ideal environment for high quality Pinot Noir.
Since fog is a frequent fact of life here, as are heavy marine layers that sometimes bring rain, the best vineyards are wisely planted above the fog line, on picturesque ridges that capture enough sun to provide even ripening. That, with the overnight drop in temperature that reliably preserves acidity, results in fine expressions of Pinot Noir that often receive tremendous critic and consumer praise alike, and are often in high demand.