Paying Attention To The Grapes In A Pinot Noir

By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR

Dan Fishman waxes pride in talking about the care that goes into making Pinot Noir from the occasionally maligned Sonoma County. As vice-president of vineyards and winery for Donum, he has the freedom to make special pinot noir that is laser-focused on a specific site that ranges from Carneros to the Russian River Valley with a little Anderson Valley.

The pinot noirs we tasted from this elite producer are unquestionably extraordinary and different in their own ways, but the attention that goes into the vineyard and winemaking comes at a price.

“Pinot noir doesn’t scale very well,” he said.

Unlike cabernet sauvignon vineyards which can yield twice the volume of grapes without a reduction in quality, pinot noir vineyards do best when the yield is low. The grape is also more susceptible to mildew, which affects a lot of producers who do not pay attention to the quality of the soil. Better soil produces more healthy vines to fight off mildew.

In a recent Zoom tasting, Fishman separated commercial pinot noir made in large quantities from his small productions where quality to more important. Commercial producers will avoid expensive oak barrels and will randomly strip the vines of every grape. Flaws are covered by adding sugar. At Donum, Fishman is more selective in choosing evenly ripened grapes. He is cognizant of how a vineyard faces the sun and how the soil impacts the flavor profile. He is willing to graft different clones if something isn’t working. And, perhaps most importantly, he invests in organic farming with sheep roaming the vineyards and reduced irrigation. Vineyard yields are kept low to produce the best grapes whereas in commercial vineyards the yield is high to produce the optimal volume of juice.

This comes at prices of about $95, which puts his wine out of reach of many consumers. Alas, pricey pinot noir is regrettably common along the West Coast. Only when you understand what goes into the bottle do you gain a perspective on cost?

Fishman is quick to point out that Donum has gone through a transition that is just beginning to settle. The estate site was once owned by Buena Vista but was purchased in 2011 by Mei and Allan Warburg. Some of their imaginative artworks from artists in 18 nations are nestled in the vineyards and have become a part of the tour.

Fishman arrived the next year and took over the vineyards in 2019. The original idea was to make one Pinot Noir from lots across the estate, but he concluded that’s not how Pinot Noir wants to be made. Today they have five ranches from which to make numerous site-specific pinot noirs and one chardonnay.

He converted the vineyards to organic when he took the reins and it wasn’t long before he started to witness the benefits. Instead of manipulating the product at the winery, he lets the vineyards do the work. This non-intervention approach puts the responsibility in the hands of the viticulturist.

“There is energy on the palate, which is only possible from vines and soil,” he said. “You can’t add quality at the winery.”

His pinot noirs have elegance, balance and restraint – his goals, he said. Alcohol levels, for instance, came down and no longer compare with the fruity, alcoholic wines popular on the market. We were impressed with the three pinot noirs that showed off unique personalities, especially the earthy and mushroom character that typifies many Sonoma pinot noirs.

Although 90 percent of the 13,000 cases made here each year are pinot noir, chardonnay accounts for the rest – and it’s delicious because of the same attention to quality.

Take a gander at these extraordinary wines:

Donum Carneros Estate Pinot Noir 2022 ($95).  Made on this property since 2001, the estate pinot noir is Donum’s flagship wine. The vineyard was replanted and is impacted by the wind that traverses rolling hills.  Fishman identifies a root-beer and earthy character that personifies this vineyard. Spice is nice in this aromatic sensation that is characterized by layers of blackberry, dark cherry and raspberry notes.

Donum Three Hills Pinot Noir 2022 ($95).   Lighter in style because the grapes from three areas of Carneros are harvested later in the year, the wine is round and luxurious with supple tannins and more red fruit, mineral character – strawberries and cranberries. It was first introduced in 2018.

Donum TFV Pinot Noir 2022 ($95). The Thomas Ferguson Vineyard was first planted in 1974 and purchased by Donum in 2016. Obviously, the vines have been replanted since then – this is only the second harvest. Less earthy, it has juicy cherry flavors.

Donum Carneros Chardonnay 2022 ($75).  We loved this complex and soothing chardonnay made from a single-vineyard estate. All of it undergoes barrel fermentation, but Fishman does not stir the lees or add to the natural malolactic fermentation.  Sourced from a variety of clones in its 120-acre vineyard, there is elegance and bright fruit to make it a good pairing with seafood. Citrus aromas with stone-fruit flavors and a dollop of spice. Fishman says he plans to step up the chardonnay program.

Wine picks

Textbook Sonoma County “The Pey Family” Chardonnay 2022 ($23). This is one of the best chardonnays for the money that we have tasted in a long time. Good balance between acidity and forward fruit with a good burst of citrus and tropical fruit at mid-palate.

J. Lohr F&G Vineyard Pinot Blanc 2023 ($35). This is a refreshing break from chardonnay and goes just as well with seafood. Bright lemon and melon flavors with a hint of pear. It is entirely fermented in barrel and aged for 8 months in French oak to give it a round texture.

Conde Valdemar Crianza Rioja 2019 ($20). We can’t write enough about this wine. Value priced, it is loaded with fruit-forward, red cherry and blackberry flavors with hints of spice and licorice. The blend is tempranillo (82 percent), mazuelo, graciano and maturana.