2024 Deerfield Pinot Noir, Next Step Vineyard, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
The Bennett Valley AVA is a mountain valley that was once part of the Sonoma Valley. It became a separate AVA because of its unique terroir. Sheltered from the shadow of Sonoma Mountain, it enjoys greater coastal influence, resulting in cooler mornings and milder summer temperatures. Pinot Noir thrives in this climate.
Randi Grindstaff’s Next Step Vineyard is planted on gently rolling hills with rich volcanic soils. The vines are ancient Burgundy clones, carefully selected for their exceptional expression of this terroir.
The result is a delicate, elegant Pinot Noir that pairs beautifully with everything from pasta to steak and even Thanksgiving dinner.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Dijon clones 115 & 118
Appellation: Bennett Valley
Alcohol: 12.2%
Residual Sugar: .4 g/L
Production: 325 cases
What’s Included
4-bottles:
4x - 2024 Deerfield Pinot Noir, Next Step Vineyard, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
Case:
12x - 2024 Deerfield Pinot Noir, Next Step Vineyard, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
PJ and Robert met at Berkeley in 1968. Robert, a back yard mechanic, kept PJ’s Italian sports cars running – takes an Italian to do that. As a thank you, PJ gave Robert, who was already interested in fine wine, a winemaking kit – seemed a good gift for a chemist grad. Robert made his first wine in his garage in Berkeley in 1972. He entered it in the California State Fair and took home the Best of Show Award. Robert found his passion and continued making wine in his garage, turned winery, for his family and friends.
Ten years later, PJ and Robert left their good jobs in the city to pursue their dream of owning a winery in the Sonoma Valley. In 1982, they bought the Deerfield Ranch in Glen Ellen where they got married, and turned the horse barn into their first winery. The Rexes still live there today, however, in 2000, they bought 47 acres on Highway 12 in Kenwood to expand the winery operation. The Deerfield Ranch Winery is still family owned and operated producing about 20,000 cases a year.
Our wines are barrel aged in the 23,000 sq. ft. cave, also home to the tasting room open daily to the public. Winemaker Robert Rex was the pioneer of the cleanwine® movement and can often be seen at the winery. His philosophy is “Wine should be good and good for you.”
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Oof, this is a toughie. We’ve got here a 2024 Sonoma single vineyard Pinot. The technical specs and color hint at more Burgundian (or perhaps, traditional) aspirations.
The wine has brilliant clarity and classic burgundy hue. It is a very restrained 12% alcohol. There’s some acid structure, but it’s softer than I’d expect, very modern California. The balance of tannin is excellent. The wine is very clean with no apparent faults.
But, you may be asking, what of the aromas? What of the midpalate, the finish?
It’s a good question. As the magic eight ball might say, ask again later, because this wine was apparently bottled less than three weeks ago according to the the bottle (???) and isn’t just dumb, it’s comatose.
Pinot, in my experience, hates being bottled. It sulks. It gives even the most seasoned winemakers anxiety. It pretty much goes on strike: you’re pretty sure what you’re tasting is wine, but can’t say much more than that. It usually gets over it, sometimes in a few months, sometimes a year and a half later.
There’s half a ghost of an aroma that suggests something Pinot shaped, at least after it’s had some time to open up. Then there’s some sweet fruit in the midpalate that probably will blossom in the fullness of time into some robust cherries.
So, my best guess is that this is at the very least, a very solid wine. If you’ve got some patience, it probably is a very good bet for laying down for a year or two.
My only reason for hedging “probably” is wondering why they’re releasing it now.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations)
2024 Deerfield Ranch Winery Pinot Noir - $55 = 24.44%
How does a producer get 12% alcohol from Sonoma county Pinot? Do they stop fermentation early or add a bunch of water, or maybe something else? I’m not adverse to lower abv wines, and actually dislike higher abv’s, just wondering how this works when most other wines from this area are in the 14% range.
@klezman@roncunningham hard to say. I suspect its broadly true across a wider variety of climates, but even within Sonoma, as big as it is, in my own personal experience I’ve rarely tasted grapes that had much maturity below 22 brix without significant other factors (that like six weeks of 65° days we had in 23, for example, or old vines with a fair amount of virus). It’s something I’ve been really curious about, because it’s a big shift from the old days and as someone who tries to keep to very 70s CA style winemaking, it vexes me that even with extremely modest picking targets (23) it’s very hard to stay below 14%. Climate is certainly a big part of it, these super warm Augusts and Septembers are challenging. Also maybe yeast evolution? I’ve never had a ferment that was less efficient than .59 conversion rate. Usually it’s a full .62? But I suspect at least some of it is the elimination of leaf roll and overall improvements in our care of the vineyards. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently as I debated doing a test lot from an 75 year old Napa Gamay vineyard that was coming up at 17 brix but packed a punch.
I tasted a 2021 Deerfield Pinot Noir that I have in my cellar last night, but it was from Elio Vineyard, 13.2 abv. It was right up my alley. Dark Cherry, Strawberry, cranberry. I’ve also had Deerfield Malbec from the Bennett vineyard and it’s one of the best Malbecs I’ve ever had. The rat gave me pause on this one though…. My cellar is also packed to the hilt, so it’s worth a dice roll even at such a nice price. I hear Deerfield winery is up for sale for like $9 Million? Maybe they’re looking for some quick income, with this offering.
Deerfield Ranch Winery Pinot Noir
2024 Deerfield Pinot Noir, Next Step Vineyard, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$504/Case at Deerfield Ranch Winery for 12x 2024 Deerfield Pinot Noir, Next Step Vineyard, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 28 - Tuesday, Sep 29
2024 Deerfield Ranch Winery Pinot Noir
4 bottles for $74.99 $18.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $169.99 $14.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Gone today, here tomorrow?
Oof, this is a toughie. We’ve got here a 2024 Sonoma single vineyard Pinot. The technical specs and color hint at more Burgundian (or perhaps, traditional) aspirations.
The wine has brilliant clarity and classic burgundy hue. It is a very restrained 12% alcohol. There’s some acid structure, but it’s softer than I’d expect, very modern California. The balance of tannin is excellent. The wine is very clean with no apparent faults.
But, you may be asking, what of the aromas? What of the midpalate, the finish?
It’s a good question. As the magic eight ball might say, ask again later, because this wine was apparently bottled less than three weeks ago according to the the bottle (???) and isn’t just dumb, it’s comatose.
Pinot, in my experience, hates being bottled. It sulks. It gives even the most seasoned winemakers anxiety. It pretty much goes on strike: you’re pretty sure what you’re tasting is wine, but can’t say much more than that. It usually gets over it, sometimes in a few months, sometimes a year and a half later.
There’s half a ghost of an aroma that suggests something Pinot shaped, at least after it’s had some time to open up. Then there’s some sweet fruit in the midpalate that probably will blossom in the fullness of time into some robust cherries.
So, my best guess is that this is at the very least, a very solid wine. If you’ve got some patience, it probably is a very good bet for laying down for a year or two.
My only reason for hedging “probably” is wondering why they’re releasing it now.
@novium curious what bottle states about bottling, seems like a long time in barrel
@kaolis it doesn’t say much. Tbf, my guess is that it wasn’t in barrel that whole time.
@novium Soooo…exactly what does the bottle say to make you think it was bottled 3 weeks ago?
@kaolis it says on the label. Bottled August 16th 2026. It does but say anything about the barrel regime.
@novium thanks…answers that question… wasn’t trying to be difficult…just seems we were dancing a bit, and I’m a horrific dancer
@kaolis no worries. I was under caffeinated when I first wrote it out
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations)
2024 Deerfield Ranch Winery Pinot Noir - $55 = 24.44%
How does a producer get 12% alcohol from Sonoma county Pinot? Do they stop fermentation early or add a bunch of water, or maybe something else? I’m not adverse to lower abv wines, and actually dislike higher abv’s, just wondering how this works when most other wines from this area are in the 14% range.
@roncunningham pick at 21.5 or 22 and get lucky with a less efficient yeast. Or pick at 23 and water back a brix and a half.
Or have old vines with a bit of virus that will mature but will top out sugar at 21.
@novium @roncunningham also cooler climate that gets less sugar for a given ripeness in flavour?
@klezman @roncunningham hard to say. I suspect its broadly true across a wider variety of climates, but even within Sonoma, as big as it is, in my own personal experience I’ve rarely tasted grapes that had much maturity below 22 brix without significant other factors (that like six weeks of 65° days we had in 23, for example, or old vines with a fair amount of virus). It’s something I’ve been really curious about, because it’s a big shift from the old days and as someone who tries to keep to very 70s CA style winemaking, it vexes me that even with extremely modest picking targets (23) it’s very hard to stay below 14%. Climate is certainly a big part of it, these super warm Augusts and Septembers are challenging. Also maybe yeast evolution? I’ve never had a ferment that was less efficient than .59 conversion rate. Usually it’s a full .62? But I suspect at least some of it is the elimination of leaf roll and overall improvements in our care of the vineyards. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently as I debated doing a test lot from an 75 year old Napa Gamay vineyard that was coming up at 17 brix but packed a punch.
@klezman @novium @roncunningham @winedavid59
And with all this wonderful discussion, we have no producer participation.
@klezman @novium @rjquillin novium, I feel you need a
badge!
I tasted a 2021 Deerfield Pinot Noir that I have in my cellar last night, but it was from Elio Vineyard, 13.2 abv. It was right up my alley. Dark Cherry, Strawberry, cranberry. I’ve also had Deerfield Malbec from the Bennett vineyard and it’s one of the best Malbecs I’ve ever had. The rat gave me pause on this one though…. My cellar is also packed to the hilt, so it’s worth a dice roll even at such a nice price. I hear Deerfield winery is up for sale for like $9 Million? Maybe they’re looking for some quick income, with this offering.
@user33071884 talking about this maybe?
https://www.abfjournal.com/bizcap-provides-10mm-in-real-estate-financing-to-deerfield-ranch-winery/