Toboni Vineyard owners Mary and Joe Toboni are fourth-generation San Franciscans whose roots can be traced back to San Francisco as early as the 1870s and to Sonoma County prior to the 1920s. The 15-acre vineyard is located just off the famed Olivet Lane in the heart of the Russian River Valley. It is divided into multiple blocks planted to Dijon 115, 667 and 777, as well as Pommard clone 5. The various clonal blocks match the various slope aspects in an effort to maximize the vines’ ability to ripen in the cool, foggy conditions. Meticulous attention is given to each block throughout the growing season to allow the inherent, sight-specific qualities of the vineyard to shine in the finished wine.

2014 was our second full year of drought in the North Coast, and not surprisingly, the growing season was dry and warm. Everything was early in 2014: Dry soils and mild spring weather resulted in one of the earliest initiations of budbreak we’ve seen in years. That trend continued throughout the season, as we stayed several weeks ahead of average all the way through the onset of harvest in mid-August.

A benefit of a dry, early year is that berry size is kept in check. 2014 was characterized by small Pinot Noir clusters containing many small, but highly flavorful berries. With small berries, we get a higher skin-to-juice ratio which leads to more extraction of flavor, color and aroma.

Cold grapes arrive at the winery early in the morning after having been picked at night. The clusters are sorted by hand and then destemmed into small, open-top fermenters. The juice is allowed to warm gradually and naturally in the fermenter. Given that all of the wines are made with native yeasts and are not inoculated, this cold-soak period can vary between five and eight days depending on how long it takes these native populations to build up and begin fermentation. Pinot Noir fermentations are kept below 85 degrees. The wines always go through malolactic fermentation. The wines then spend the next 11 months in barrel. Seventy percent of these are François Frères, 15 percent are Sirugue and 15 percent are Chassin. The new oak component ranges from 30 percent for the appellation wines to 40 percent for the vineyard designates. The wine is racked clean just prior to bottling.

The 2014 Toboni Vineyard Pinot Noir exemplifies great Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with a captivating mix of richness, earthiness and purity of fruit. Notes of pine needle, sandalwood, dried flowers and raspberry liqueur greet the nose. On the palate, a savory mineral quality pairs nicely with notes of raspberry preserves, white pepper and huckleberry. With time in the glass, the wine reveals layers of complex flavors and aromas including espresso bean, kirsch, cinnamon, charred rib-eye and fresh pastry. The finish is rich and mouth-filling, with blue and red fruits carried by chewy tannins. Peak drinking window: 2016 through 2026.