Wine of the week: Blue Farm, 2021 Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

The purity of pinot noir, said Anne Moller-Racke, is extraordinary.

“I often describe it as a watercolor painting,” the founder of the Blue Farm brand said about the pure presence of a single varietal.

“Cabernet blends are more like an oil painting, layering different varieties like merlot or cabernet franc to achieve the perfect balance,” she said.

The winemaker is behind our wine of the week winner — the Blue Farm, 2021 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Gap’s Crown Vineyard, 14.5%, $85. It’s complex, with layered aromas and flavors of raspberry, plum, cola and cedar. With generous fruit and a lingering finish, it’s striking.

The most challenging part of making pinot noir, Moller-Racke said, is the picking decision.

“It’s not a recipe,” she said. “You need to be flexible. Every (decision) you make, you can taste. There’s no do-over. You have to wait another year.”

Moller-Racke said she doesn’t try to have a set style for the wines she makes.

“I like my wines to have a liveliness, which comes from the acidity,” she said. “In general, I like the wine to speak of the vintage and its place.”

What people find most surprising about her winemaking, Moller-Racke said, is that she started out on the viticulture side.

“In the early ’80s, there were few female vineyard managers,” she said. “I have many years of experience, which helps me understand a vintage and how to nuance it with my tools of irrigation and canopy management. Working with beautiful sites makes my job easy.”

Moller-Racke founded her Blue Farm label in 2001, after a long career at highly esteemed wineries including Buena Vista Winery and DOnum Estate, both in Sonoma. After 18 years at Donum, she left her position as president and winegrower to build Blue Farm Wines.

Moller-Racke began Blue Farm with a 7-acre vineyard behind her house in Sonoma. Today she produces 2,500 cases yearly, predominantly pinot noir.

“I call myself a winegrower,” Moller-Racke explained.

Her favorite wine book, the winemaker said, is Karen MacNeil’s “The Wine Bible.” “It’s so comprehensive and fun to read, lots of wonderful information on the topic of wine and wine culture from around the world,” she said.

Burgundy is Moller-Racke’s favorite wine region outside the United States.

“I love the history, the food and the wines,” she said. “It’s just lovely.”

Closer to home, her favorite winegrowing region is Sonoma Valley because it reminds her of Burgundy with its charming small towns, stellar wines and restaurants.

The winemaker grew up in the winegrowing area in Germany called Mittel Rhein.

“Wine was part of everyday life,” she said. “It’s a relatively cheap luxury item that adds to everyday enjoyment. It’s shared and connects people.”

Reflecting on more than four decades in the wine industry, Moller-Racke said, “I’ve had many wonderful adventures growing and making wine. From working with (the late) André Tchelistcheff, (the winemaker known for defining the style of cabernet sauvignon), to walking vineyards and connecting with nature, it has been a wonderful journey.”

You can reach Wine Writer Peg Melnik at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pegmelnik.