CleverRoot

f a l l 2 0 1 7 | 7 5 grading the vineyards, which are now fully California Certified Sus- tainable. Christy made do with the original winery the first couple of years, but when two new ranches were purchased to augment the 47 planted acres at Lazy Creek's estate, the old winery had to be retired. It's still there, however, emitting weather-beaten charm beside the new state-of-the-art winery and wine caves, also fully California Certified Sustainable. The investments have paid off handsomely in the finished wines from Lazy Creek. On a sweltering summer day, we tasted them alongside homemade pizzas baked in the winery's outdoor pizza oven—courtesy of Ackerman and Cellarmaster Serafin Aceituna. A salmon-hued 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir accessorized the smoked salmon and mozzarella pie as elegantly as Tiffany & Co. did Audrey Hepburn. Its refreshing strawberry and peach attributes took the sizzle out of the afternoon. Though rosé is an increasingly important part of Lazy Creek's sales, and a small amount of Gewürztraminer honors the winery's heritage, Pinot Noir is the forte. "I really like the expressiveness of Pinot Noir," Ackerman said during the tasting. The differences of expression are clearly evident. Comparing the two estate wines sourced from the mountain ranches, the 2014 LCV Middleridge Ranch leans more toward red fruit and graphite, with a touch of floral, whereas the 2014 FC Sky High Ranch shows more cola, spice and even a bit of conifer leaf. The weightier mouthfeel with açai, spice and wild berry characteristics in the 2014 Estate Pinot from the Lazy Creek property made it an especially scrumptious match for the rich flavors in the mushroom and asparagus pizza. During a tour of the grounds, Ackerman showed us some of the mementos left by the previous Lazy Creek owners: pawprints and handprints in the cement, the outbuilding lovingly built to reflect the sense of awe the property inspires. We could feel these people had ached for this unforgettable place to remember them too. Salmon-hued Lazy Creek Rosé of Pinot Noir and smoked salmon pizza—perfect accessories for a sizzling summer day! The Lazy Creek Middleridge Ranch Pinot Noir with an asparagus and mushroom pizza from the winery's oven prove an ideal pairing. Lazy Creek Vineyards Winemaker Christy Ackerman. ■cr

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