Review: 2016 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir – Seven Twenty Eight and Oldsville Reserve
We’re longtime fans of winemaker Kathy Joseph, who’s long been something of a benevolent mad scientist in the world of pinot noir, operating out of her home base in Santa Barbara County. Today we’re looking at two pinots from much different regions — Santa Barbara and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Both are the same vintage — 2016, which is the current release.
Here’s a little backstory before we jump into tasting notes.
An advocate for place-driven wines, Fiddlehead Cellars’ ‘Seven Twenty Eight’ Pinot Noir draws its name from the 7.28-mile marker on Santa Rosa Road in the Sta. Rita Hills where the esteemed Fiddlestix Vineyard is located. Conversely, ‘Oldsville’ pays homage to the location of the winery in McMinnville where Kathy produced wines for 15 vintages, before transitioning production to her winery in California. Both wines reflect the distinctive profiles of these respective regions.
Central to Fiddlehead Cellars is the iconic Fiddlestix Vineyard, which Kathy planted in 1998. With a keen foresight, she recognized the potential of the Sta. Rita Hills even before its official AVA designation for the cool climate fog and coastal breezes that yield Pinot Noir wines with vibrancy and structure. The 2016 vintage of ‘Seven Twenty Eight’ Pinot Noir is a true reflection of this terroir, exuding mineral-laden spice, cherry cola nuances, vibrancy, and a touch of earthiness.
Fiddlehead’s ‘Oldsville Reserve’ Pinot Noir hails from Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains. Kathy’s affinity for David Nemarnik’s Alloro Vineyard, with its unique position in this valley, led to a long-term collaboration. In comparison to Fiddlestix, the Alloro Vineyard in the Willamette Valley, Alloro is cooled by its more northern latitude and Fiddlestix is exposed to direct ocean breezes and coastal fog. The 2016 vintage stands tall, characterized by its warm start and a cool, steady harvest season, resulting in a wine that is both structured and vibrant.
Since her first vintage in 1989, Kathy has always intentionally broken from the norm and held back wine releases for at least two years longer than her peers believing her wines become more expressive with bottle age. “As my wines age, their youthful fruit evolves into spicier flavors, and the tannins and oak integrate to reveal greater suppleness and complexity,” she says.
Here’s how the 2016s are shaping up.
2016 Fiddlehead Cellars Seven Twenty Eight Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard – Santa Rita Hills fruit. A rather dusky, brooding expression of pinot noir, this wine immediately exudes notes of cola and bay leaf, amply spiced en route to a core of blackberry, black cherry, and just a hint of anise. Acidity roars into focus as the finish builds, brightening up a wine that could easily have slipped into darker territory. With time in glass, hints of chocolate creep into the picture. A- / $48
2016 Fiddlehead Cellars Oldsville Reserve Pinot Noir Oregon – Curiously denominated from the state of Oregon rather than a specific AVA, a “secret little spot” in Yamhill County is the source of this surprisingly bold pinot, redolent with notes of redcurrants, juicy plums, blackberries, and layers of milk chocolate. A bittersweet finish eventually evokes more of a raspberry quality, concluding on elements of cola and bay leaf — hearty yet acidic, tannic yet sweet. One of the most complex pinot noirs I’ve tasted in ages — yet also one of the least pinot-like. Still processing it. A- / $60
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