La Follette Wines is a partnership between winemaker Greg La Follette of Tandem and Pete and Terri Kight of Quivira Vineyards & Winery in Dry Creek Valley. This Sonoma County winery crafts wines that offer benchmark expression of vineyard site and appellation. The focus is on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from cool climate vineyards in Sonoma (DuNah, van der Kamp and Sangiacomo) and Mendocino (Manchester Ridge). After studying ancient Burgundian techniques at UC Davis, Greg La Follette has had a remarkable winemaking career. His unparalleled understanding of yeast - specifically, how different yeasts affect the mouth feel and flavors of the finished wine - is a defining aspect of his winemaking talent. It was at Davis that he became fascinated with the scientific components of mouth feel. Greg worked at Beaulieu Vineyard as research viticulturist/enologist with wine master, Andre Tchelistcheff. From BV, he went to work at Kendall-Jackson and later turned his talents to Flowers Vineyard & Winery where he was the winemaker and general manager, launching one of the most successful small Pinot labels to date. In 2001 he founded Tandem Wines to produce small lot Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He has also consulted on vineyard and winery projects around the world, including the new UC Davis teaching winery. The label illustration was found in a rare first edition French manual on viticulture published in 1847. The tool in the winegrower's hand was changed into a more whimsical magic wand to communicate the mystical, almost alchemic relationship between winemaker and the vines.

Tasting notes

Mulberry, horehound and wintergreen on nose lead to a voluptuous mid-palate of forest floor, berry basket and brown spices. Tannins are a strong backbone throughout with a spectrum of fruit showing raspberry on entry to blackberry on finish.

Technical notes

(95% Pinot Noir/5% Pinot Meunier). At 1,400 ft. elevation, the patchwork of soil types includes loam with volcanic material and decomposed river bed. Clones: Dijon 777, 828, UCD 23, Martini, Swan, La Tache selection, Pinot Meunier. Native primary and secondary fermentations in open top fermentors; some whole cluster and aging for 10 months in French oak. The vineyard is farmed organically in key vineyard blocks, with some dry-farmed blocks.