Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, located in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley is best known to the average consumer for their two tent-pole Wines; Russian River Valley Cuvee’s of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It stands to reason as these represent a large portion of their overall case production. Not to mention these wines are generally available on store shelves across the country. But if you poke your nose under the hood a bit, you’ll find that there’s a lot more on offer at Gary Farrell Winery.
Last week I participated in a Virtual tasting with Winemaker Theresa Heredia and a handful of other writers over Zoom. We took a deep dive into a selection of their Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs. A few things were readily apparent; their goal is to let the particular site speak, and while they are certainly proud to call the Russian River Valley home and showcase it’s bounty of fruit sources, they’re also invigorated to widen the breadth of Gary Farrell offerings by using fruit well outside its bounds, as they deem worthy.
2016 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir ($70)
This first wine we tasted is from Santa Maria Valley, the most far flung from Russian River Valley in this lineup. Winemaker Theresa Heredia said she included it both because it’s a personal favorite, and also because she considered it a bit of an outlier. Dark fruit and spice aromas waft with conviction from the glass the moment you pour it. Red cherry flavors, continued spice and wisps of sour black currant are also present. The finish is above average in length.
2016 Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir ($75)
This Fort Ross-Seaview Pinot comes from the vineyard closest to the Pacific Ocean in the Sonoma Coast. Ripe Wild strawberry and bit of gaminess present on the nose. The palate is dotted with a solid core of cranberry. Savory herbs and a long deep, kiss of salinity drive the acid rich finish. In a gathering of Pinot Noir bottles that impressed across the board, this is the one I’d personally reach for most often. The rich acid and vein of salinity knock me out with every sip.
2016 Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir ($55)
The first of four wines in the tasting from their home AVA, Russian River Valley. A bowl of ripe red fruit drives the aromatics. The palate is loaded with bright Bing cherry and baking spices. Earth and mineral notes are evident on the long finish. Good structure balances the overall juiciness of this wine which has lots of curb appeal.
2016 Hallberg Vineyard, Dijon Clones Pinot Noir ($60)
Also from the Hallberg Vineyard this wine is limited to a selection of Dijon Clones. It leads with a big, complex nose loaded with floral notes. Sour red fruits, spice and tobacco are strewn through the even-keeled palate. A treasure trove of minerals drive the acid-laden finish.
2016 Toboni Vineyard Pinot Noir ($55)
This Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is immensely aromatic with red and black fruit competing for attention. The palate has an elegant muscularity about it with red plum and black raspberry joined by bits of black cherry and a solid core of spices. Earth and black tea are evident on the the lovely finish. As with the other wines there’s a solid vein of acid running through and keeping things proportionate.
2016 Martaella Vineyard Pinot Noir ($65)
The fourth Russian River Valley wine in this group shows off savory aromatics such as bay and thyme alongside violet. Blueberries, blackberries, bit of leather and copious spices are all present. This is a rich wine whose mouthfeel and texture really set it apart. This wine benefited from some air and had really opened up by the second day to express its charms more willingly.
2016 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir ($80)
Like the last wine, this offering from the Petaluma Gap really benefits from some air. It was tasty on day one, but a bit reticent. On day two it was fully unleashed and ready to party. Everything here is deep, and dark, from the fruit to an undertone of savory herbs and earth. The finish is long, persistent and impressive. The recommendation here is to decant it for at least two hours.
On the one hand these seven offerings are quite distinct, on the other hand they do have a commonality among them; the vineyard and the AVA speak most loudly. These wines represent only some of their Single Vineyard Pinots. In addition to other Single Vineyard Pinot’s their portfolio also includes a range of Chardonnays, a Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Rosé, Port style wine and more. There’s a lot under that hood I’ve tasted many of their wines over the years and the consistent connective tissue is the balance and proportion of the wines and the integrity of the fruit sources shining through.
If you’ve never been, Gary Farrell Winery is a beautiful and welcoming place to visit and taste some excellent wines. Of course, visiting options are limited these days. As a nod to that, Gary Farrell Winery has put together a wide range of virtual tasting options. They’re designed to get as much of a feel for the winery in your home as possible. These are detailed at and can be booked directly through their website. In any case, if well-made, food loving wines with a sense of place sound like your thing, the Gary Farrell winery is one you’ll want to be familiar with. If it happens that Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay are your jam, the experience might just be heavenly.
