Wine of the week: La Follette, 2019 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Heintz Vineyard

Pinot noir shows well when it’s been tended by a detail-oriented winemaker.

Hugh Chappelle falls into this camp. He’s behind our wine of the week winner — the La Follette, 2019 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Heintz Vineyard, 13.5%, $65. Weighted to red fruit, this pinot has notes of cranberry, pomegranate and raspberry. Balanced, with crisp acidity and tangy fruit, it’s impressive.

“If you don’t obsess over details and minutiae, it might be more challenging to produce pinot noir,” Chappelle said. “Lucky for me, I seem to have been blessed — or cursed, depending on how you look at it — to obsess over details and minutiae.”

The key to crafting extraordinary pinot noir lies in finding a great site and farmer, he said. This bottling was a collaboration with grower Charlie Heintz and his Heintz vineyard in Occidental.

“While Heintz Ranch is best-known for amazing chardonnay, and it’s arguably a Grand Cru site for this variety, many are not aware that Charlie also grows amazing pinot noir,” Chappelle said, comparing the site to the best (the “Grand Cru”) vineyards in Burgundy and Alsace, France.

Grand Cru is a French wine classification that denotes the best-quality wines from specific vineyards in France.

The winemaker said Heintz is an exceptional farmer, and he’s been working with him since 2000.

“You can have a great site, but if you don’t connect the dots with great farming, the potential isn’t realized,” he said.

Chappelle, 60, is head winemaker for La Follette Wines & Quivira Vineyards. He earned a bachelor of science degree at UC Santa Cruz in 1985.

The style he’s shooting for, Chappelle said, is an elegant, seamless pinot noir that’s balanced and has great power and concentration without being heavy.

Founded in 2009, La Follette is produced at Healdsburg’s Quivira Vineyards by Chappelle and his winemaking team. The brand focuses entirely on pinot noir and chardonnay, with 6,000 to 7,000 cases annually.

Chappelle’s favorite wine book is “Wine & War” by Don and Petie Kladstrup.

“It’s a fascinating history of winemaking in France during World War II,” he said. “It’s fast-paced and a great read.”

As for his most-prized Old World wine region, the winemaker said, “It’s a tie between Burgundy and Tuscany. I’m a huge fan of the wines from both regions, where wine culture runs so deep and has such a long, amazing history.”

When it comes to the New World, Chappelle is quick to pick Sonoma County.

“How could I not say Sonoma County? From zinfandel to pinot noir, from chardonnay to cabernet, we seem to be able to do it all at world-class quality levels. Within Sonoma County, the west Sonoma County, formerly ‘true’ Sonoma Coast, is to me a truly special spot where both pinot noir and chardonnay shine bright in a highly distinctive way.”

You can reach wine writer Peg Melnik at peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5310.