Villein Pinot Noir Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino 2021

Villein is a new project, from long-time assistant winemaker at Joseph Swan, Cody Sapieka. This is their first pinot, from the illustrious Alder Springs vineyard in a remote region of Mendocino. You’ve likely never heard of this wine, but expect that all to change soon...scores are coming, the critical acclaim is building, and we anticipate big, big things for this newest release of 2021 pinot noir!

Joseph Swan is a singularly iconic producer, and unique among the most heralded California wineries. The team here wears many, many hats, and employees “play both ways” and then some – with work that overlaps vineyards, winery, admin, hospitality, and sales. After years and years as a leader at one of the most iconic pinot noir and chardonnay producers in California history, Cody was a prime partner to bring on to a new wine venture. Paul and Lynn O’Neill, whose Walker Vine Hill vineyard served as a long-time supplier for Joseph Swan agreed. In 2018, Villein (a medieval term for farmer) began, and in 2021 this first-ever pinot noir was added to the portfolio.

Alder Springs is a tremendous Mendocino site, nearly an hour's drive from the next closest vineyard, has it all – high elevation, oceanic influences, extreme variation of terroir, great drainage – plus an impressive array of over 35 different varieties planted, and an uncountable number of clones. For this pinot noir, the focus is on the Calera & Dijon 943 clones, and the result is a bright, spicy, and flashy style of California pinot noir that is elegantly layered and extraordinarily complex. It’s as impressive of a first effort as I have seen in some time, and with just 200 cases produced, we are absolutely thrilled to have snagged about 20 cases just for you!

The aromas offer a medley of berry-driven flavors – strawberries, red currants, raspberries, and red cherries – with deeply spiced accents of clove, allspice, nutmeg, and juniper. The wine is youthfully rich, but soft and silky, with a persistent acidity that carries the wine into a long and pleasing finish. A brief 9 months in a mixture of neutral and new French oak gives a polished sensibility to the overall palate, but there is no harnessing this wine’s exuberance – and I mean that in the best possible way. Fantastic stuff that bodes well for a bright future – both for this wine individually, and the Villein brand as a whole. Don’t wait for the scores to come out on this one – this is a true “first bottle” offer that you’ll be surely bragging about to your friends for years to come!

PAIRING IDEAS: With spring coming into full blossom, this is the perfect wine for one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations… salmon with buttered peas and mint. I make a simple risotto, fold in a little butter and cream to finish, and a handful of uncooked, fresh English peas. If you shuck them yourself (always best, but somewhat tedious), use the husks to make a pea stock and cook your risotto with that, and then top it all with a pan-roasted slab of King salmon. It’s a winner, and the perfect fit here.