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{ SOMMjournal.com } 57 This savvy purchase would ultimately help lay the foundation for Trinchero Fam- ily Estates, an impressive portfolio of ultra- premium and luxury wines made with fruit from the most prestigious regions in northern California. Over the past 14 years, the whimsical Folie à Deux brand has emerged with a more modern focus aimed at bottling the acclaimed terroir of Sonoma County vineyards. In addition to Totty, the dynamic team leading this charge includes viticulturalist Chris Trinchero, who represents the fourth generation of the winemaking family. From the moment they assumed own - ership of Folie à Deux, the Trinchero family set out to provide consumers with high- quality yet accessible wines which overde - liver for $18–$24 per bottle. They began testing the waters by purchasing fruit and building relationships with respected vintners in Sonoma County in 2010, and just four years later, the Trincheros acquired the Cloverdale Ranch vineyard in Alexander Valley. From that point on, Folie à Deux's transition from Napa to Sonoma began to seamlessly roll out one release at a time. Striking Rich with Red Located between the Russian River and the Mayacamas Mountains due east of the historic hamlet of Asti, the 45 acres at Cloverdale Ranch comprise Cabernet Sau- vignon and a few special blocks of Merlot and Petite Sirah. A few minutes north, the 45-acre Crocker Road Vineyard serves as the other source of estate Cabernet. Citing the balance of warm days and cool evening breezes that helps control vine growth, Totty says her goal is to make sure the tannins create an end product that tastes rm but not too heavy. To achieve this, she softens the wines by aging them for 22 months in a combination of French, American, and Hungarian oak bar - rels (27% new). The fruits of her labor are highly appar- ent in one of the brand's newest releases, the Folie à Deux 2016 Cabernet Sauvi- gnon: A full-bodied wine with lively notes of wild berries, dark cherry, cassis, vanilla tobacco, and dark chocolate nibs, it pos- sesses a velvety texture, balanced tannins, and rm structure. The counterpart red is the 2016 Merlot, made with premium fruit from Clover - dale Ranch and two cooler sites at the southern end of the Alexander Valley. Together these components create a rich and elegant style of Merlot with gener - ously ripe red fruit, bright acidity, and a long, supple nish. To take advantage of the distinct grow - ing conditions Sonoma County has to offer, the Zinfandel is made with old-vine fruit from Dry Creek Valley. Blended with 10% Petite Sirah, the 2013 vintage features deep avors of fresh-baked berry compote, ripe cherries, black pepper, and roasted walnuts. The Pinot Noir, by contrast, is made with fruit from the Ceja and Paradise vineyards in the southern segment of the Sonoma Coast appella - tion. The end result is a charming wine with fragrant aromas and vibrant notes of chocolate-dipped strawberry, black cherry, ripe plum, spearmint, and nutmeg with a persistent, tangy nish. "Classy, Obtainable, and Lovable" For the white-wine program, the focus shifts to the Russian River Valley, where the main fruit source for the annual release of Chardonnay is River Road Vineyard. A pristine site near Forestville that Trinchero Family Estates purchased in 2016, it sits in a narrow, canyon-like area on the sunny yet breezy edge of the Russian River. This prime location allows plenty of time for the grapes to develop: "As long as we keep a close watch on the vineyards, we can let the grapes do their thing. That's always a plus in my book," Trinchero says. Totty, who previously worked with Chardonnay grapes from Carneros, says the most noticeable advantage to working with fruit from this cool-climate area is the balance between the high level of acidity and low pH levels. As a result, the nished wine is clean, crisp, and lively with notes of green apple, ripe pear, melon, papaya, and banana custard, with a light touch of oak adding subtle spices and a creamy texture. In contrast to the 30,000 cases of 2017 Chardonnay made with fruit from multiple sites, the 900 cases of the 2016 Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris were produced primarily with grapes sourced from Balletto Vine - yards near Sebastopol. With oral aromas and a delicate golden hue, this elegant wine opens with expressive avors of ripe tree fruit, citrus, minerals, and a zesty burst of acidity leading to a lengthy, dry nish. Totty says she enjoys the versatility of the Pinot Gris, particularly the way it pairs with seafood. "Oysters, mussels, crab, and salmon, bring them on," she says with a smile. "When I'm tasting wine, I'm always thinking about pairings with comfort foods, spicy foods, and ne cuisine. For that reason, my job is to craft wines that are classy, obtainable, and lovable as soon as the bottle is opened." Folie à Deux Winemaker Domenica Totty, a Sonoma County native, joined the winery last year.