Varner Pinot Noir Three Blocks Spring Ridge Vineyard

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The 2014 Pinot Noir Three Blocks Spring Ridge Vineyard reveals aromas of blackberries, plums and sweet forest floor, complemented by subtle notions of spice and potpourri. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and lavish, with a supple attack, sapid mid-palate and a warm, generous finish.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Three Blocks Spring Ridge Vineyard is another fruit-forward beauty that's overflowing with notions of sweet strawberries, sappy flowers, licorice and dried herbs. Like all of the other releases here, it's layered and balanced on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, plenty of fruit and a great finish. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years.

The blend of all three blocks is the 2012 Varner Pinot Noir Three Blocks, which is a tiny cuvée of less than 100 cases, so I’ll keep my notes short. This wine shows lush strawberry and black cherry fruit, like its siblings, toasty oak, medium to full body, soft acids and ripe, well-integrated tannins. It should drink well for another 5-7 years.

Made from a blend of all three blocks, the 2010 Pinot Noir Three Blocks Spring Ridge Vineyard offers deep cherry and jammy strawberry notes intermixed with forest floor, damp earth and a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel. This stunning effort should drink nicely for 5-6 years. These organically, dry-farmed vineyards located ten miles from the Pacific Ocean in the Santa Cruz Mountains are managed by two brothers. I was super-impressed by their attitude as well as their statement that “90% of what we do to contribute to our quality is work in the vineyard.” All of these wines are minimally processed with indigenous yeast fermentations, hand racking, and are produced in relatively small quantities, ranging from 95 cases of the Pinot Noir Three Blocks, to nearly 500 cases of the Chardonnay B Block. I can not recommend these fairly priced reds and whites highly enough. The Amphitheater Block is a two-acre, south-facing vineyard planted on its own roots thirty years ago. The Home Block is a two-acre, east-facing site planted on its own roots thirty-one years ago. The Bee Block, 3.5 acres on a northeast-facing slope, is grafted. All of the vineyards are planted in sedimentary, fragmented, rocky soils, and the brothers believe the Chardonnay, at least from the Amphitheater Block, is an Old Wente clone. They are not certain what clone was used in the two other blocks. I tasted three Chardonnays under the Varner label and one packaged under the Neely label, all 2011s, the coolest vintage on record with no heat spikes during the summer as well as a wet fall. There was no botrytis in these vineyards because of their high elevation. The Pinot Noirs are made from the Hidden Block, a northeast-facing slope planted with Dijon clone 115, the Picnic Block, a 2-acre east-facing slope planted with Dijon clone 777, and the Upper Picnic Block, a 2-acre block of 32-year-old vines planted with Dijon clone 777. Their prices are fair for what has been put in the bottle. www.varnerwine.com

The 2009 Pinot Noir Three Blocks is a magnificent wine that brings together the very best qualities of the three Neely Pinots, although it is sold under the Varner label, just to make things confusing. The exuberant fruit from Upper Picnic seems to dominate a touch, but the Three Blocks is simply gorgeous. Aromatic nuances come to life with time in glass, as hints of tar, ash and new leather emerge on the finish. The Three Blocks captures the very best qualities of Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir. For more on the components in this blend, readers may want to look at my reviews of the Neely wines, also in this issue. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. Brothers Jim and Bob Varner describe 2010 as a cold year with two heat spikes that were shorter and less dramatic than in other parts of California. It was a long growing season, and the fruit came in 2-3 weeks later than normal. As always, the Varner and Neely wines were fermented in barrel, with native yeasts, natural fermentation and minimal handling. These broad-shouldered Chardonnays and deep, resonant Pinots remain some of the most compelling wines being made in California. Tel. (650) 321-4894; www.varnerwine.com