Winery a force for change in the valley

Gary Farrell was a winemaking pioneer in California's Sonoma County, helping establish the Russian River Valley's reputation for world-class pinot noir and chardonnay. After he sold his eponymous winery in 2004, however, the label essentially became a brand in one corporate portfolio after another. As often happens when a famous winemaker sells, the wine's quality - and its reputation - seemed to slip.

Then, in 2011, Gary Farrell was bought by the Vincraft Group, a partnership of retired winery executives determined to restore the winery's reputation for quality. (Vincraft Group also owns Kosta-Browne, a cult-status pinot noir producer.)

The new owners made a brilliant move in hiring Theresa Heredia as winemaker.

Heredia came to Farrell from Freestone Cellars, located in what has become known unofficially as the "west Sonoma Coast." At Freestone, owned by the Napa Valley-based Joseph Phelps winery, Heredia made a name for herself, crafting racy chardonnay and vibrant pinot noir from picturesque vineyards just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Her talents earned her a Winemaker to Watch designation from the San Francisco Chronicle in early 2011.

The west Sonoma Coast and the Russian River Valley aren't far apart, but their wine styles are. When she visited the District of Columbia earlier this year with Nancy Bailey, the winery's general manager, I asked Heredia how her experience on the west Sonoma Coast translated to the Russian River Valley.

"I pick earlier than most people" in the Russian River Valley, she said. The decision of when to pick is the most crucial moment in winemaking; an entire year's product depends on the right combination of sugar level, flavor ripeness and instinct - and sometimes fear. But the desired level of ripeness in the grapes is ultimately reflected in the glass.

At Freestone, there would be entire days without sun, creating disease pressure. "And the gophers!" Heredia laughed. "They loved the ... soils, and the grapes."

"You can't let the fruit hang on the vine as long in the Russian River Valley as at Freestone," where the cool, foggy days slow ripening, she explained. Yet many producers do let their fruit hang on the vine, in search of "ripeness" that can ultimately make the wine heavy and plodding. "In the Russian River, pinot noir can get fruit-driven, jammy and luscious. Sometimes it can be too much. There are ways to keep the wine from getting too fruity, such as early picking, partial use of whole-cluster fermentation, and barrel selection."

Heredia applies the same principles to her chardonnay. "I like lean, fresh, vibrant, acid-driven chardonnays that are flinty, lemony and savory," she said. "I would choose all those characteristics over the tropical, pineapple flavors you can get with ripe grapes in the Russian River Valley."

Another change from established practice at Gary Farrell: She refuses to rack the chardonnay before bottling, in order to avoid exposure to air (preserving freshness) and keep the wine longer on its lees.

"When you pick chardonnay at lower sugar levels, the wine can taste a bit like sauvignon blanc," she says. "It needs barrel fermentation, 100 percent malolactic, and time on the lees to build character. I prefer to get as much out of the lees as possible, because I only leave it on barrel for eight months."

At Gary Farrell, Heredia also has the advantage of working with some great growers. She makes-single-vineyard designate chardonnay and pinot noir from Bacigalupi, Rochioli and Hallberg vineyards, among others. Most of these are available in small quantities only from the winery, unfortunately. She also makes a "Russian River Selection" blending fruit from the various vineyards, which is distributed nationally.

Heredia, 44, has a science background: Her first job was as a research enologist at Phelps, where she rebelled against "analysis paralysis." Today, "I just do the basic assays, for pH, total acidity, brix," she says. "The rest is mostly art."

The 2012s, her inaugural Gary Farrell vintage, brilliantly display the characteristics she aimed for: The chardonnays are lemony and bright, with a firm backbone of acidity that gives them tremendous energy. Her pinots are vibrant and velvety.

The Russian River Valley is Heredia's new canvas for her art. Her first efforts suggest she's working on a masterpiece.