PinotReport

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Hanzell Vineyards 18596 Lomita Avenue Sonoma, CA 95476 Tel: (707) 996-3860 Fax: (707) 996-3862 Web: www.hanzell.com

BOB SESSIONS IS NOT A FLASHY GUY. He doesn't wear those hip, narrow rectangular European eyeglasses and you won't find him "being seen" at some de rigeur wine country social affair. What Bob lacks in flash, he makes up in honesty, integrity and friendliness. When you meet Bob for the first time and shake his hand, your immediate first impression is that you like him, and you can trust him.

Sessions was until recently the winemaker and general manager of Hanzell Vineyards in Sonoma. After nearly 30 years at the helm of Hanzell, he decided it was time to retire and pass the baton to Daniel Docher, his assistant winemaker since 1995. Sessions's tenure at Hanzell has to be one of the longer ones for a California winemaker in these days of winemaker musical chairs and also one of the most successful, if success is measured in being really good at what you do.

When Sessions left Mayacamas in Napa and took over at Hanzell in 1973, he probably had no idea he would remain there for nearly 30 years. Hanzell should be grateful that he did, as his personal style and his style of winemaking was in many ways perfect for that unique wine estate, because Hanzell, like Sessions, is not about flash. Hanzell is about great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Sessions has been delivering the product of that vision—under most of the wine world's radar—for decades.

Hanzell Vineyards was founded in 1948 by James D. Zellerbach (of Crown Zellerbach) who purchased the 200-acre estate overlooking the Sonoma Valley and the town of Sonoma with the vision of creating a small wine estate modeled after the estates of Burgundy. The first vines — Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — were planted in 1953 and those original vineyards are still an important part of the Hanzell wines. The winery was built in 1956 and was the first to use stainless-steel fermenters and among the first in California to use French oak for aging. After Zellerbach's death in 1963, the winery was sold in 1965 to Douglas and Mary Day who in turn sold it to Australian-born heiress Barbara de Brye in 1975. De Brye's son Alexander is the winery's current owner.

I attended a special vertical tasting of 32 vintages of Hanzell's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay given in honor of Bob Sessions. My tasting notes begin on the following page.

I tasted 16 vintages each of Hanzell Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The wines were not tasted blind but were tasted under optimum conditions in the winery's cellar. I have only provided production figures and price for the current vintage (which leads off each group). Please note that the scores are "generalized," that is they appear in the form of "90+" which gives a good idea of my overall opinion of the wine in that vintage. I do it this way because the point of this kind of tasting is not to precisely rate wines but to look at the style of the property and how the wines have aged. My notes and comments follow.

These Pinots are not your typical California Pinot Noirs. Many have described these wines as "Cabernet-like" or "Syrah-like." Depending on the particular vintage, either characterization can be correct. They are big and tannic, seemingly unapproachable in youth, but as big as they are, they are balanced and have good fruit and structure. They also change very little in color regardless of age.

Grape sourcing for Hanzell's Pinot Noir has been exclusively from the winery's estate since 1965. The winery's 14.5 acres of Pinot range in age from 1953 for the original Zellerbach Vineyard located just below the winery to 1976 and 1993 for the De Brye Vineyard located at the top of the hill on the estate to the latest plantings in 1999 in the Sessions Vineyard on the eastern edge of the property. Clonal selections range from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in the Zellerbach Vineyard to Hanzell clone in the De Brye to Hanzell, Fanucchi, Swan, Dijon and Pommard in the Sessions Vineyard.

After harvest, the majority (75 percent to 85 percent) of the grapes are crushed and fermented at controlled temperatures for an average of eight days. The remaining grapes (15 percent to 25 percent) are fermented as whole clusters for 12-15 days with some stem contact. After pressing, the wine ages two years in French oak from Tonnellerie Sirugue in Nuits-St.-Georges, a cooperage that the winery has used almost exclusively for decades. New barrels are rotated in at the rate of 25 percent per year.

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1998
Medium-deep ruby red color; somewhat tight on the nose but aromas of spice, pepper and black cherry are there; big, tannic and balanced flavors of black cherry, spice and toasty oak. This wine is still very young by Hanzell standards and set for age.
600 cases made $58 Score: 90+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1997
Medium-deep ruby red color; smoky, spice, some ripe black cherry fruit and earthy aromas; big and tannic, lots of toasty, earthy flavors; isn't as well balanced with fruit as the ‘98; has a long full finish.
Score: 85+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1995
Medium-deep ruby red color; black cherry and spice aromas, almost a bit stemmy on the nose; rich and ripe in the mouth with great black cherry, pepper and spice flavors; great structure and acidity and terrific balance. Drinks well now because of the balance, but don't get too anxious.
Score: 90+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1994
Medium-deep ruby red color; more subtle earthy and stemmy aromas, seems closed; subtle fruit flavors and spice are buried under quite a bit of tannin; seems more one dimensional than a classic Hanzell Pinot.
Score: 85+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1991
Medium-deep ruby red color; earthy, tobacco as well as stewed fruit aromas; big and tannic, earthy flavors, pepper and complex fruit flavors peek through; long finish with just a slight bitterness on the end. A big, complex Pinot.
Score: 90+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1990
Medium-deep ruby red color; earthy, plummy and oak aromas dominate the nose; big and hearty on the palate with plummy, spicy and earthy flavors. This wine has plenty of tannin, yet still stays in balance.
Score: 90+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1989
Medium-deep ruby red color; earthy, spice aromas with a hint of mint on the nose; big, full and tannic with a good dose of spice and black cherry fruit; the mint note carries through the palate.
Score: 85+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1986
Medium-deep ruby red color; spice and earthy aromas with some cola notes; big and tannic with lots of extract, fruit is not quite buried but also not assertive; long finish.
Score: 85+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1981
Medium-deep ruby red color; earthy, herbal, rosemary and slightly meaty on the nose; big and full in mouth with full tannins but also a good, complex core of black cherry, stewed plums and earthy flavors. I drank my last bottle of this several years ago thinking it still had a long way to go; it hasn't changed much since then.
Score: 95+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1979
Medium-deep ruby red color; earthy and meaty aromas along with complex tea and spice notes on nose; lots of complex flavors open up on the palate; tea and spice notes, meaty flavors, moderate tannins, great acidity and a long finish.
Score: 90+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1976
Medium-deep ruby red color; lots of earthy aromas dominate the nose along with some slight vegetative notes; overripe, stewed fruit flavors and very high tannin dominate the palate. A tough wine from a tough vintage.
Score: 80+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1974
Medium-deep ruby red color; lots of earthy, meaty, ripe, stewed plums aromas on the nose; very intense, young fruit flavors with complex earthy and meaty notes as well; this wine has incredible depth, complexity and lots of vibrant fruit left with the structure to keep it going for quite some time.
Score: 95+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1971
Medium-deep ruby red color; complex earthy and woody aromas, tobacco, and tea notes on the nose; concentrated and deep earthy flavors dominate the palate; the wine feels great in the mouth, not old at all at 31 years.
Score: 90+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1968
Medium-deep ruby red color; amazing color for a wine this age; ripe, plummy fruit aromas with lots of tea and tobacco notes to go along on the nose; incredible depth of flavor on the palate with vibrant plummy fruit, great acidity and a long finish. At 34 years old, this wine seems to have much more life ahead.
Score: 95+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1966
Medium-deep ruby red color; somewhat sweaty aromas on the palate betray a bit of the wine's age, but on the palate it also has great depth and more of that concentrated stewed plum fruit flavor; very well balanced and well structured; drinking very well now.
Score: 90+

Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley 1965
Medium-deep ruby red color; some oxidation present on nose but otherwise the earthy, spicy and stewed plum aromas and flavors are still there along with notes of bacon; there's really only one word to describe this 37-year-old California Pinot - WOW!
Score: 95+

No Chardonnay in California achieves the longevity and consistency in style of Hanzell. It's because these Chardonnays are so great and so unique in California, as well as the fact that that they are such an integral part of the Hanzell experience that I decided to "break the format" a bit and include my Chardonnay tasting notes in this report.

Hanzell's Chardonnay vineyards, like the Pinot Noir, have been the winery's exclusive source of grapes since 1965. The winery's 27.5 acres of Chardonnay are planted in just two clones: the original 1953 planting in the Zellerbach used the Wente clone; all subsequent plantings used the native Hanzell clone. The average age of the Chardonnay vines is 25 years, the oldest being planted in 1953 and the youngest in 2001.

In the winery, 80 percent to 90 percent of the Chardonnay is fermented in the winery's 1957-era bank of one-ton stainless steel fermenters. The remaining grapes are barrel fermented and aged for 10 months on the lees. The Chardonnay is aged in oak for one year, with 25 perent of the barrels new each year. Approximately 25 percent to 40 percent of the wine is allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation.

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1999
Light-medium pale gold color; floral and spice aromas, tight nose right now; big, full and rich tropical, pineapple and pear flavors with great acidity; this wine's balanced and big and ready for the cellar. 2,184 cases made $50 Score: 90+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1998
Medium-pale gold color; a bit more forward in the nose than the '99 with tropical fruit aromas; pineapple, pear flavors, big and full bodied, a touch lighter in acid than '99.
Score: 85+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1996
Medium-pale gold color; this wine has a bit more tropical fruit than the '98 and a touch of butter on the nose; well balanced on the palate with rich pineapple, pear and buttery flavors; crisp acidity and excellent structure; this wine is set for a long time ahead.
Score: 95+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1995
Medium-pale gold color; complex tropical fruit and dried apricots on the nose; this wine is not as rich and full at the '96, but has great structure and balance for the cellar.
Score: 90+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1994
Medium-pale gold color; complex tropical fruit, dried apricot and slight butter aromas; while well balanced and tasty, this wine lacks some of the depth of flavor and structure of the others.
Score: 85+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1992
Medium-pale gold color; buttery, tropical fruit, pears, and a slight toastiness on the nose; great structure and acidity, intense flavors of pineapple and other tropical fruits with a long, mouthfilling finish. This 10-year old California Chardonnay is in better shape than most are at two years.
Score: 95+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1991
Medium-pale gold color; butter, tropical fruit, pears, and slightly toasty aromas; nice tropical fruit flavors with great structure and acidity and a very long finish. Not quite as nice as the '92 but still terrific.
Score: 85+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1990
Medium-deep gold color; aromas of tropical fruit and honey; lots of fruit, rich and creamy on the palate; pineapple, pears and honey flavors; great structure and long finish.
Score: 85+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1986
Medium gold color; faintly floral on the nose, lots of honey and butterscotch; rich, very ripe tropical fruit and pineapple flavors; creamy texture, tremendous structure and balance. This wine is still vibrant at 17 years old.
Score: 90+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1981
Medium gold color; concentrated butterscotch and hazelnut aromas along with the classic tropical fruit on the nose; big, full and ripe in the mouth with pineapple and toasty flavors. Still growing and getting better.
Score: 95+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1978
Medium gold color; intense aromas of hazelnut, tropical fruit and just the slightest oxidation; deep, full and complex flavors of butterscotch and pineapple with great balance and a very long finish.
Score: 90+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1975
Medium gold color; toasted nut aromas, still some tropical fruit with a little oxidation on the nose; good fruit, butterscotch and toasted nut notes, but still remarkably fresh, fruity and balance. This is the first wine to show its age, even ever so slightly.
Score: 90+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1974
Medium gold color; serious concentrated honey aromas along with the usual tropical fruit package on the nose; big, full and rich in the mouth with great structure and acidity. Still has a ways to go.
Score: 90+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1971
Deep gold color; faint and subtle aromas of butterscotch and hazelnut; not as assertive as the rest of the group, this wine has more delicate flavors and a bit more oxidation. It's probably more a statement of the vintage, which was rainy and not so good overall.
Score: 85+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1968
Medium-deep gold color; clean, young aromas of dried pear, apricot and pineapple with a touch of butterscotch on the nose; rich and full flavors of pineapple, pear, butterscotch and hazelnut; classic structure and acidity; this wine is truly incredible!
Score: 95+

Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 1965
Medium-deep gold color; yeasty, toasted hazelnut aromas mixed with pineapple and apricot; incredible mouthfeel, pineapple, apricot and toasted hazelnut flavors, great balance and still feels like it has time ahead. This California Chardonnay is 37 years old!
Score: 95+

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Generally, there are two types of tastings that appear in each issue of PinotReport. The first are our regular "New Releases" tastings of Pinot Noirs new on the market. The second are our "Tasting Reports" that focus on a particular appellation, producer or style. The mechanics behind both of these tasting types is the same.

We taste wine in flights of usually no more than 10 wines. These flights are organized appropriately based on the particular type of tasting. We generally taste no more than 30 wines in a tasting session. Ringers and duplicate wines are inserted in tastings to measure consistency and whether the Editor is paying attention.

All tasting unless otherwise noted is done blind by the Editor. From time to time other tasters may participate, but their scores and comments are not part of the official tasting record. The tasting coordinator (who does not taste) arranges and bags all wines, which are then scored and comments recorded before bags are removed.

Our tastings are done under controlled, consistent conditions. We do not under any circumstances use tasting notes from large tasting events or other sub-optimal tasting venues in our published tasting reports.

Wine prices vary all around the country and can often vary significantly within the same city. We make every effort to only publish a winery's suggested retail price. This price in many cases will be higher than you can find in your local store. The wines we taste either come from the wineries in the form of tasting samples (always finished bottles ready for market) or wines we purchase at retail or at the winery.

The wines we taste are rated using a 100-point rating system. We fully understand the ongoing debate over the use of the 100-point system and while we respect the rights of those who simply despise the system to continue to do so, we believe that the scale has value when used with the accompanying tasting notes as a relative guide to wine quality that has the added benefit of being familiar and truly intuitive for most consumers.

Here is PinotReport's 100-point scale:

96-100 Superior; it doesn't get better.
90-95 Outstanding; approaching the best
80-89 Above Average; a fine Pinot.
70-79 Average; OK if it's all you have.
60-69 Below Average; not recommended.
50-59 Undrinkable.

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