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While there is certainly no shortage of new and emerging winemakers in Sonoma County, the rising stars are few and far between. One of my favorite up-and-coming producers is Darling Wines. I’ve been following Tom Darling since I met him during my early days at PRESS (Napa Valley), and every vintage that I’ve tasted since then has been more impressive than the last.
The story goes like this -- Winemaker and Proprietor Tom Darling began in 2017 with two barrels of Syrah. Up to this point, Tom had worked just one harvest and was beginning his second when he and his wife Ashley came across a listing of certified organic, cool climate Syrah in the Petaluma Gap. After visiting the site, they decided to take a chance and figured at the very least, they would have some decent home wine to send to family and friends for the holidays.
Their first wine, the 2017 McEvoy Ranch Syrah, sold out in mere months and was even featured on the Wine List of One-Star Michelin restaurant, Bouchon Bistro, in the Napa Valley, owned by the famed Thomas Keller.
Today, Darling Wines produces Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay sourced from coastal vineyards in western Sonoma County, Marin County, Anderson Valley, and Mendocino Ridge. The goal is to produce wines with character and energy that showcase purity and site through transparent winemaking. With this goal in mind there is minimal handling from grape to bottle, restrained use of sulphur, no new oak, no synthetic additives or perfecting agents, no fining or filtration, in an attempt to produce the most honest wine possible.
All vineyard partners are small, family-owned, and are farmed with intention and with respect to the surrounding ecosystems. All vineyards are at minimum sustainable, but most are farmed organically, biodynamically or regeneratively.
Today’s Mayacama Wine Offer highlights three separate Darling Wines bottlings, all representative of the highly lauded 2021 vintage…
2021 Chardonnay, Perli Vineyard, Mendocino Ridge – “Perli Vineyard is located at 2,200 feet elevation high atop Mendocino Ride, a remote, coastal mountain range just miles from the Pacific Ocean. Planted in 2003 by Steve Alden, the vineyard is composed of sandstone soils and is farmed with organic and no-till practices. Due to its extreme elevation, Mendocino Ridge experiences a unique diurnal shift yielding cooler day time temperatures with warm nights. Our 2021 Chardonnay from this site shows the balance of this site with fresh, bright acidity and a soft but defined palate. Aromatics include lemon skin, honeysuckle, and canned peaches; the palate shows delicate texture while being weightless. The grapes were hand harvested and direct pressed whole cluster upon arrival to the winery. They free run juice settled in tank overnight and was the rack to neutral French Oak puncheons for native fermentation. After 11 months the wine was bottled unfined, filtered for stability, and with less than 65ppm TSO2. Four barrels produced.” – TD
2021 Pinot Noir, Turnstone Vineyard, Sonoma Coast – “Along with the strict organic and holistic farming practices, what makes Turnstone special is its location on the Sonoma Coast. The Russian River Valley (RRV) is a very large appellation and there are major differences in climate from subregion to subregion. Specifically, Turnstone is located in the southwest tip of the appellation border where it enjoys a much cooler growing season and coastal influence than that of the main parts of the RRV. Because of this, we achieve physiological ripeness at a much lower sugar level (i.e. 12% alcohol versus 14%) and a longer “hang time” for the grapes to gain more complexity without the sugars getting too high. This allows for a delicate, fresh, and perfumed wine that is light on its feet but delivers an abundance of depth and flavor. This site is in our ‘go zone’ when we are looking for vineyards to work with as it compliments our intentions perfectly. Because this subregion is so different from the majority of the RRV, we choose to label this wine as ‘Sonoma Coast’ and we feel it is a better representation of the wine profile.” -TD
2021 Pinot Noir, Mariah Vineayrd, Mendocino Ridge – “Mariah Vineyard is located 2,400 feet above sea level on Mendocino Ridge, 6 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Dan and Vicky Dooling planted this site in the late 1980s and have been producing truly exceptional fruit ever since. The site is now Certified Regenerative, the highest level of farming. Additionally, the site is surrounded on four sides by Redwood Forest giving the wine a unique aromatic that showcases exactly where it is from along with beautiful texture only mountain fruit can offer. 120 cases produced.” -TD
*In addition to the wines being offered, we’re throwing in a complimentary tasting with Tom at his new Tasting Room in downtown Sonoma (6-bottle purchase to qualify).
As always, feel free to let me know if you have any questions regarding the wines, and thank you for the continued support.
Cheers!
Carey Vanderborg, Wine Director
2021 Chardonnay, Perli Vineyard, Mendocino Ridge - $45
2021 Pinot Noir, Mariah Vineyard, Mendocino Ridge - $55
2021 Pinot Noir, Turnstone Vineyard, Sonoma Coast - $60
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