Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/882780
{ SOMMjournal.com } 7 and high mountain range protecting the alley fro the acific cean to the west. Before the reion becae an official appel - lation in , there were only 7 acres of inot oir planted, but thans to the rowin interest in this noble red rape and new clonal aterial aailable on the est Coast, there are now ore than ,00 acres. or that reason, nderson alley has becoe associated with eleant, cople and terroir-drien styles of red wines by a rowin nuber of wineaers, soe - liers, retailers and wine collectors around the world. ne of the early pioneers of this oe - ent is Brad iley of iley ineyard. Situated at the famed "Deep End" at the western end of the alley, his southeast-fac - in ineyard rests atop a 00-foot ride and shallow ranciscan soils. ust ten iles fro the ocean, the site is ipacted by foy nihts, war days and cool coastal breezes in the afternoon. s a result, its typically one of the last ineyards piced in the alley. Throuh the years, the fruit fro the ineyard has been sold to a preiere roup of or thern California producers, includin rew ines, hillips ill inery, oodenhead ine, itchin tic ines, ewis ines and chrasber ineyards. In 20, the first year ohlffs wored with the ineyard, the fruit was priarily ount den clone 7 and rench ion clones 7 and 777 now, howeer, he ets nearly 0 percent of the oard rapes fro the proper ty. The new release of the 20 nderson alley inot oir is an ecellent eaple of the Braiu style. ith a loely crison hue, half the fruit used in the blend is fro iley, while the other half is a cobina - tion fro the ide at alley oothills and onnelly Cree ineyardsboth of which are located in the slihtly-warer areas near the center of the alley. nce poured, the wine opens up with allurin aroas of rose petals, briht red fruits, nectarine, tanerine and a hint of soe. n the palate, the aors are lay - ered with liely notes of wild strawberry, rhubarb, red cherry, fresh herbs, ineral, ibrant acidity and a iss of oa. Classy, eleant and feinine with a linerin finish, the end result is one of the hallars of the alley in liuid for. s part of his boutiue ineyard desinate prora, ohlffs has been worin with inot oir rapes fro inal ide, an isolated ineyard owned by oer coena, since 20. t 2,00 feet aboe sea leel alon the endocino ide, this is one of the hihest eleation plantins on the orth Coast. or that reason, ohlffs calls the ineyard a "diaond in the rouh," and he lies to ae separate desinates fro indiidual blocs, as well as the annual release fro the ineyard as a whole. fter the early releases fro the ineyard ained critical acclai, ohlffs fored a partnership with coena, an epert in wine aretin and sales, and Trinchero aily states, which has allowed the brand to be sold at hiher-end restaurants outside of California. In contrast to the softer, ore feinine style of red wine fro iley, the tradear of inal ide is its ore saory character. "Ie always found the wines fro inal ide to be ore asculine with plenty of structure, power and distinctie notes of pepper and saory herbs. It doesnt atter if its a hot or cool year its always there," says ohlffs, who also aes a deep, dense and stately inot oir fro osellas ineyard in anta ucia ihlands in onterey County. or the Chardonnay prora, ohlffs oal is to ae ery food-friendly wines with cople aors and briht acidity. The latest eaple is the 20 ussian ier alley Chardonnay, ade eclusiely with fruit fro indsor as ineyard. lanted in two separate hillside blocs hihlihted with cobbled clay and olcanic soils, the wines balanced attac of fruit iediately pops with frarant aroas of ripe pineapple, iwi, arzipan, nute, cinnaon, anilla and honey deep aors of tropical fruits, poached pear, leon and inerals a rich teture and a finish that eeps oin. lthouh he only ade ,00 si-pacs of the 20 intae, ohlffs says he epects the newer intaes will ost liely include rapes fro the eis ineyard and another new site Trinchero purchased in reen alley. ro a soeliers perspectie, oa or oelier ar uillaudeuwho oined us for this eclusie interiew with ohlffs at the restaurant in an rancisco says he lies how the fresh aors, depth and briht acidity of the Braiu wines copleent the hih-end eats and sushi his tea seres. "uch lie uai, iner - als ae a sinificant difference when you pair wine with fine apanese cuisine," he eplains. "or that reason, I appreciate the way the Braiu wines offer saory under- tones and uniue salty and rocy epressions that reect the ipact that uplifted seabeds can hae on world-class rapes rown in the coastal reions of California and, in turn, how the aors coe throuh in the lass." Mark Guillaudeu is the Sommelier for Roka Akor in San Francisco. Flavors That 'Come Through the Glass'