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first press 6 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018/2019 that she sees this wine as one tailormade for the American palate. According to Alan Blum, Wine Buyer and Cellar Manager for Sandburg Wine Cellar at Potash Markets, "Cono Sur Ocio occupies a middle ground between leaner, almost austere Burgundies and boldly fruit-forward California styles." "It's wine that tastes of place," he added. In North America, Fetzer Vineyards Vice President of Winemaking Bob Blue crafts the Beckon 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir ($50) from one of Santa Maria Val - ley's most renowned sites, Bien Nacido Vineyards. Pommard, Martini, Swan, Mount Eden, and a handful of Dijon Pinot Noir clones are planted to low-vigor Elder shale and Pleasanton loam soils on the property, which lies 17 miles inland from the Pacific coast at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountain chain. This particularly cool site relies on a slight elevation and north-south row orientation for optimal ripeness. Blue, who marks his 31st vintage with Fetzer Vineyards this year, cold-soaks destemmed berries for several days and ferments in open-topped oak vats. The wine spends 11 months in 100 percent French oak. In terms of quality, Beckon Bien Nacido Pinot Noir demonstrates a hallmark coastal-region style from a proven site. Reign of the Bordeaux Varieties In Mendocino, Bordeaux varieties perform exceptionally well on alluvial fans that lie over the sedimentary seabed of Bonterra Organic Vineyards' 141-acre McNab Ranch. (The property is named for McNab Creek, which flows eastward through a confined box canyon to meet the Russian River.) The single-vineyard McNab 2014 ($55) is a Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant blend of varieties including Merlot, Petite Syrah, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc that showcas - es the terroir of this Biodynamic site, plant- ed by Jim Fetzer in 2001. The wine sees 24 months in a variety of 90 percent new oak and achieves a seamless integration of fruit, tannin, and acidity. "These wines are being built from the ground up," Blum said. "Mendocino is an up-and-coming region that's been working its vines and wines for some time now. It's good to see the region is finally being recognized for it." Fetzer Vineyards, which produces the Bonterra wines, marks its 50th anniver - sary this year. As an early adopter of organic and Biodynamic practices, the Benson Zak, Wine Director at The Capital Grill, compares vintages of Don Melchor. Certified Sommelier Christopher D. Harris and Kinzie Chop House owner Susan Frasca (in background) assess The McNab.