Let's clear up a couple of things here from the get-go. I originally wanted to write something about AI today, but how is that possible on "International Pinot Noir Day"? OK, it's not possible. So instead we are releasing the 2024 Madroña Pinot Noir today in the tasting room, all 13 cases that we produced. (Wait, hold on, it's only 12 cases and 7 bottles now as Maggie and I have been enjoying it quite a bit over the last several days (please don't do the math on consumption there!)).
But first, there are some things you need to understand. Maggie's Pinot is not like Maggie's 'M-Series' of wines. Maggie's 'M-Series' are naturally low-alcohol expressions of Cabernet Franc and Riesling that she makes, determining the picking decisions, style and blendings. However, the "Maggie" Pinot Noir is something completely different. (You'd think that a winery that has been in business for 50 some years would produce less confusing marketing...but have you met my family?)
So the story on Maggie's Pinot is as such: Some 18 years ago or so, Maggie expressed that she truly loved Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, all the California Pinot Noirs she was tasting had a certain character that she despised. She couldn't really explain it to me, but it seemed to be more stylistic than anything as Oregon Pinots had less of it, and Pinots from Burgundy were quite wonderful. (In the end, we think that it has to do with an over-extracted, fruit-forward style that California seems to push forward.)
Knowing that 95% of the Pinot Noirs aren't worth the price, and the other 5% we (as a winery) can't honestly afford, the only answer was to make Maggie some Pinot Noir. We once again called on our great friend, Hugh Chappelle, who had been the winemaker here back from 1993 to 1999, to help us out with some clonal choices. (He had subsequently worked at Flowers Winery and Lynmar Estate Winery, both great producers of Pinot.) He selected three top clones that would potentially work in our mountain-grown vineyards, which we grafted in to two rows in our Enyé Vineyards in Pleasant Valley.
The result was in 2009, 2010, 2011, etc. I made a barrel of Pinot Noir each year for Maggie, trying (and succeeding) to make a wine that didn't have that character in it that Maggie disliked. (OK, this is a strange way to make a wine, but it worked!) But one evening, Maggie and I had the frank conversation where she stated, "Hey Paul, I can't drink 25 cases of Pinot Noir every year. I like other wines too!" thus we started to integrate the wine (what little production we had) into our Rucksack portfolio.
But with Mary and Douglas taking over Rucksack Cellars, the 'Maggie's' Pinot needed to come back to Madroña. That is where we find ourselves today--International Pinot Noir Day!
Just a bit about Pinot Noir. It is considered to be one of the most fickle varieties of the world, growing exceptionally in only certain climates (yet over-planted everywhere as wineries take advantage of the Pinot Noir name, and ironically, the effect of the movie back in 2004). The other aspect of Pinot Noir is that it is generally considered to be one of the hardest wines to make (with Nebbiolo being the other one!).
Am I happy with the expression we get in our Pinot Noir (see notes below)? For sure. But more importantly, Maggie likes the wine with its mountain-grown expression (and none of that character that shall not be explained, discussed or understood, at least by me!). Cheers to Great Pinot Noir!
(And Yes, you can sample and savor the 2024 Pinot Noir today in the tasting room!)