WTN: 1999 Saintsbury Brown Ranch Pinot Noir

Last night, I prepared a dinner in celebration of the arrival of Spring in these parts: roast duckling, asparagus and morels. With a meal that fairly cried out for Pinot Noir, I opened:

1999 Saintsbury "Brown Ranch" Pinot Noir (Carneros)
nose: bright raspberry, pencil lead, later tea leaves and minerals
palate: deep raspberry fruit, bright acidity, savory, tea leaves

I served this blind to Jean who, to her credit, guessed an Oregon PN from 2000. This wine had many of the characteristics I associate with Grand Cru Burgundy from the Cotes de Nuits: bright raspberry fruit and savory secondary aromas. The acidity was high enough to lessen the association with California, even though the intensity of fruit would suggest a California origin. My earlier encounters with the Brown Ranch bottling from one of our favorite CA producers had all been in their early development, and the density and oakiness put me off. However, this bottle at age 9 has thoroughly convinced me of the quality of the Brown Ranch bottling, at least in a year like 1999. This will easily make my list of most memorable bottles of '08.

Mark Lipton

This wine had many of the characteristics I associate with Grand Cru Burgundy from the Cotes de Nuits: bright raspberry fruit and savory secondary aromas.

What about the fine-grained Grand Cru quality to the wine? Was that also there? I don't think I've had the Brown Ranch, but other single-vineyard Saintsburys have seemed a bit plodding in that CA way.

I don't think I've had the Brown Ranch, but other single-vineyard Saintsburys have seemed a bit plodding in that CA way.

What are the other single vineyard Saintsburys? All recent releases, correct? For years I only knew of (in ascending price) the Garnet, Carneros, Reserve, and Brown. My (foggy) understanding is they recently stopped making the Reserve, and starting making other single vineyards from those grapes.

Like Mark until this, my only experiences with the Brown Ranch had been with young ones. At that point they didn't seem to justify the price differential from the Reserve, which I generally preferred. Sounds like patience would be rewarded. Even the Reserves age pretty well, I have a bottle each of the '94, '95, and '96, need to drink soon.

In 2004 the Charlotte Wine and Food Weekend had a half-blind tasting of Sainstbury Pinot Noirs against Burgundies emceed by Dick Ward. The Brown Ranch (1997?) was not my favorite for drinking at the moment but was the one that I thought showed the greatest potential of all the wines in that tasting and I guessed it to be a Burgundy. From reviews I have seen elsewhere, the Brown Ranch does need some years in bottle (6-8?) to integrate the oak treatment but is based on great fruit.

This wine had many of the characteristics I associate with Grand Cru Burgundy from the Cotes de Nuits: bright raspberry fruit and savory secondary aromas.

What about the fine-grained Grand Cru quality to the wine? Was that also there? I don't think I've had the Brown Ranch, but other single-vineyard Saintsburys have seemed a bit plodding in that CA way.

I've never had any other single-vyd Saintsburys, Rahsaan (see Dale's comments). We'd probably have to agree on a definition of "fine-grained" to get to the bottom of your question. If you're asking about the tannins, I'd probably say yes, though I haven't really seen any quality to the tannins that distinguishes GC from PC or village-level Burgs (not that I've made a study of it, either). There's no question that this wine was a bigger-scaled wine than most of the GC Burgundy I've had, but I haven't had a wide assortment of the latter, either. I have my doubts whether this wine is any bigger than a DRC La Tache or Leroy <anything> but until someone offers to school me in those wines, such will remain idle speculation.

Mark Lipton

We'd probably have to agree on a definition of "fine-grained" to get to the bottom of your question. If you're asking about the tannins, I'd probably say yes, though I haven't really seen any quality to the tannins that distinguishes GC from PC or village-level Burgs (not that I've made a study of it, either).

I've had the Toyon Farm a couple of times, recent vintages, and I don't think they proclaim it to be on the level of Brown Ranch, at least not yet. But, I was struck not just by the size but also the lack of detail, which is only apparent in the best terroirs, IME.

Yes, on the tannins, but also the acids, the fine quality of precision around the sides of the wine, that just don't come from lesser terroirs.

Now this is not to say that CA doesn't have great terroir, I've had some of those Heitz cabernets which were plenty noble to me.

But, was just curious how the Brown Ranch stacked up on that level, because the Toyon Farm did not seem to be a "grand cru" level of wine.

Yes, on the tannins, but also the acids, the fine quality of precision around the sides of the wine, that just don't come from lesser terroirs.[...]

But, was just curious how the Brown Ranch stacked up on that level, because the Toyon Farm did not seem to be a "grand cru" level of wine.

Gotcha. I'd have to say that such a judgment can't be drawn from one experience. Granted, I've had a couple young Brown Ranch bottlings, too, but I'd need to try a few more of the aged variety before saying. Given Jay Miller's enthusiastic recommendation, though, I'd be inclined to argue that, yes, Brown Ranch does deserve GC status. It certainly made me think of several Chambertin Clos de Beze wines that I've had.

Mark Lipton