Winemaker Notes
Oppenlander Vineyard is well off the beaten path in Mendocino County outside of the town of Comptche. It’s about eight and a half miles from the Pacific Ocean as the crow flies at an elevation of 250 feet. Oppenlander is owned by the Shandel family, 5th generation owners of the property, and was originally homesteaded in the 1860s by their ancestors from Denmark (via the Gold Rush in Australia). The vineyard sees consistently cool temperatures across the growing season and is harvested later than other regions. This cooler temperature range and coastal proximity can deliver a certain “oceanic acidity,” lending structure and complexity to the wine.
The beautiful ruby color of the 2014 Oppenlander is a prelude to the fresh black fruits at the forefront of the nose. The nose is densely packed with aromas of plum and black cherry, cedar, brioche, sagebrush, and a hint of gardenia. The laser focus of the palate exhibits the same red fruits and balances weight with bright acidity. The finish is lengthy and the fruit flavors are complimented by a light toastiness in the finish and a touch of florality. Drink now and over the next 5-7 years.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Coming from a singular vineyard along the Mendocino coast, this wine has smoky savory flavors that complement the just-ripe fruit flavors and give a truly maverick but easy-to-enjoy personality. It is medium bodied, velvet textured, and has good structure, fine-grained tannins and enough concentration for a lingering finish. Editors’ Choice
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.”
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.