Rodnick Farm is a fascinating vineyard in one of the most distinctive and singular terroirs in all of California: the Chalone AVA. This high-elevation, mountainous region is famed for its rugged limestone soils. Sitting high in the Gabilan Mountains, very close to Pinnacles National Park and right on the San Andreas Fault, the unique geology here really informs the wines. Ancient, uplifted seabed limestone on the western side of the fault meets volcanic and granitic bedrock on the other. The region’s climate is very dry due to the rain shadow effect of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. It’s almost like a high desert up there, well above the fog line, but the region still gets significant cooling from the Pacific Ocean 40 miles away, creating dramatic diurnal swings in temperature. Rodnick Farm was planted by legendary vigneron Richard Graff in the 1980s. Graff also owned Chalone Vineyard from the 1960s and developed this vineyard right next door. This Pinot Noir is produced from those same 40+ year-old heritage Pinot Noir vines planted by Dick Graff himself. The wine is so reminiscent of the place. A real mineral core runs throughout. The fruit is a little more substantial than the Ascona Vineyard bottling, and Rodnick trades redwood forest character for more dry-land, mountain chaparral and dusty limestone elements. The fruit profile is quite brambly, and the wine has a really fascinating “sauvage” wildness to it. Whether it’s the old heritage vines or the ruggedness of this remote mountain terroir, this wine is totally captivating and such a vivid expression of place. Once again, our pricing here is just incredible for such an artisanal, high-quality wine.