Wine of the week: Decoy, 2019 California Pinot Noir

Mother Nature’s capricious ways have always forced winemakers to think outside the box. The pandemic has made them even more enterprising.

“The most challenging vintages tend to teach us the most, and 2020 was one of those vintages,” said Dana Epperson, the vice president of winemaking for Duckhorn’s Decoy and Migration labels. “It forced us to adapt and to be innovative in so many ways. My big takeaway is the heightened sense of resiliency and creativity it fostered.”

Epperson is behind our wine of the week winner ― the Decoy, 2019 California Pinot Noir, 3.9%, $25. This budget-savvy bottling over delivers. It’s earthy, with layered notes of cranberry, wild strawberry and cracked black pepper. Balanced, with crisp acidity, it has good length and a zesty finish. It’s impressive.

Other tasty pinot noirs include: Argyle, 2018 Willamette Valley Reserve Pinot Noir, 14%, $40; Gary Farrell, 2018 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Pinot Noir, 13.9%, $45; Notre Vue, 2019 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Pinot Noir, 13.4%, $55; and Outerbound, 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, 14%, $39, 3.5 STARS.

As for the Decoy pinot noir, Epperson said what gave it the edge was grape sourcing from different regions.

“In broad strokes, Sonoma County brings the vibrant red fruit flavors we love, as well as acidity and structure,” she said. “Arroyo Seco adds a bit of rustic backbone, Santa Barbara County adds richness and a velvety texture and Mendocino provides structure and lovely, blue fruit notes."

What makes pinot noir so fascinating, the winemaker said, is how it expresses its site with a series of factors at play ― climate, topography and soil type, among others.

“Two pinot noir vineyards planted to the same clone right across the road from each other can produce very different wines,” Epperson said. “When it comes to blending, if you’ve picked the right vineyards to work with, this diversity is an incredible benefit in terms of building layers of flavor and crafting a very complete and harmonious wine.”

Epperson, 36, studied at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and earned a degree in food science in 2006. The field of winemaking ultimately piqued her interest and it’s not surprising. She was immersed in Sonoma County’s wine and agriculture growing up, with three generations living in Sebastopol.

“Wine was always somewhat on my radar,” she said.

As a winemaker, Epperson said she benefits from having a light touch.

“Pinot is a delicate grape, and it doesn’t respond well to too much manipulation,” she said.

Epperson said she let’s her curiosity guide her.

“I’m open to experimenting with new ideas and techniques,” she said. “Whether you’re a winegrower or a winemaker, you have to constantly be trying to improve. No matter how great the vintage you just made is, the goal is for the next one to be even better. I love that challenge. It drives me.”

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5310.