In 1999, the Phelps family and management team began developing 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay near Freestone, located in the Sonoma Coast AVA. In the autumn of 2005, the team broke ground for a new winery, which was completed in time for the 2007 harvest. The vineyards are managed along organic and bio-dynamic principles, whilst a state-of-the-art, gravity-flow winery has been built in the middle of the vineyard to minimise both the effects of transport on the grapes and the Freestone carbon footprint.
The coastal location means that cold fogs roll in from the sea tempering the hot Californian sun, giving the grapes a long growing season and leading to aromatic, layered Pinots reminiscent of Burgundy. The chilly climate is almost too extreme for Chardonnay, which produces lovely sinuous, racy whites with firm acidity behind the plump white fruits. Given the youth of the vines, the intensity of flavour is already outstanding, and the wines are beginning to garner some serious critical praise. There are three levels of wine from the Freestone vineyard – the charmingly named Fog Dog wines which are for drinking soon after production, Ovation Chardonnay and finally the top cuvées: Freestone Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
“Under winemaker Theresa Heredia, Joseph Phelps’ Freestone Vineyard in Freestone, on the Sonoma Coast, turns out Pinot Noirs with Californian fruitiness and Burgundian minerality. Like other producers in this developing area, Freestone’s viticulture and winemaking have been works in progress, starting in 1999, and 10 years later finding the right clones and rootstocks for the environment. Freestone’s success, previously projected for the future, is now.”
Linda Murphy, Decanter Magazine
The Growing Seasons (Click here for our first UK opening offer of Freestone wines)
In Sonoma the 2006 season was similar to that in neighbouring Napa, with the area receiving a spectacular nine feet of rainfall over the year, however the cool weather suited the Pinot perfectly, and an Indian summer in mid October ensured perfect ripening conditions. Grapes were harvested between 2nd September to19th October for the Fog Dog Pinot Noir, and 28th September to 19th October for the Freestone Pinot Noir.
The 2007 vintage at Freestone saw early bud break after an unusually dry winter, with fine, consistent flowering. The season was remarkably even, bar a couple of heat spikes in the early summer, and a warm spell mid-August brought harvest dates forward, with harvesting of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay starting around 7th September. A cool patch in September put the brakes on the harvesting for a couple of weeks to allow the last plots to catch up and the harvest continued until 30th September. The Fog Dog Chardonnay was harvested on the 8th and 12th September.
Click here to order the current wines available online (alternatively please call us on 01353 721 999 or e-mail orders@privatecellar.co.uk for assistance)
Fog Dog Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2007
Pale gold with a nose of vanilla, melted butter and a discreet note of spice, subtle and clean. Ripe, caramelised fruit on the palate, tarte tatin with citrus notes overlaid with toasty oak, going to a fine finish. From 2009
Ovation Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2006 (sold out)
Deep gold with rich, smoky fruit on the nose, buttery and dense with hints of crème pâtissière. Ripe, layered fruit on the palate with hints of almond kernel, again buttery and lithe, with lovely, honeyed depth and excellent acidity to balance. Very long on the finish. From 2010
Freestone Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2007 (sold out)
Pale yellow gold with a lovely racy but restrained nose of vanillin, aniseed with light floral notes, marzipan and crème pâtissière. Tight white stone fruits on the palate, apricot and melon, subtly tropical but also restrained. Layered, mineral, very fine and so very different to the standard Californian Chardonnay. From 2010
Freestone Chardonnay 2007: "Sleek and spicy, with a mix of tangerine, citrus and orange zest that's intense, vibrant, complex and earthy. Full-bodied, offering floral scents and a hint of mineral. Drink now through 2016." Wine Spectator, 91 points.
Fog Dog Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2006
Red black, vibrant, with sweet, jammy red fruits on the nose, ripe and juicy. Lovely berry fruits on the nose, redolent of summer pudding, pure, with a nice bite of tannin and hint of summer fruits on the finish. From 2010
Freestone Pinot Noir 2006
Deep red black. Lovely red fruit nose, strawberry, with good concentration, very classic and with a hint of spice. Rich, concentrated red black fruits on the palate, with ripe, fine tannins, tighter than the Fog Dog Pinot but with lovely rich, ripe red fruits, good depth, sweet and long with the ability to age for a few years. From 2010
"These two Chardonnays, from the new Phelps-developed effort out near the Pacific Ocean in an area that seems certain to gain great fame for its deep yet tight and complex wines, are nothing short of stellar accomplishments. They have succeeded in being deep and layered without resorting to high ripeness, and they possess the enlivening acidity that has become part and parcel of the new Chardonnay paradigm in California. This wine comes with a slight haze in its appearance and, like the best efforts of that genre, its fruit is sweet and pulpy, deep and vital all at the same time. Long, fruity, tart and promising to gain greater range over time, this wine is about as good as it gets and joins a very select list of our favorite wines."
96 points from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine
FOG DOG Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2007: Offers a vivid array of blackberry, raspberry and black cherry fruit that's intense, ripe and rich without being heavy. Full-bodied, but light and delicate, gaining finesse and ending with a long finish of berry fruit. Drink now through 2016. 2,700 cases made. - J.L.
Wine Spectator, 90 PointsFor marketing queries, please contact Laura Taylor on 01353 721 608 or at laura@privatecellar.co.uk.
To find out more about the winery, please visit http://www.jpvfreestone.com/
Click here to read about Joseph Phelps Vineyards
