As my Microsoft Teams call began, HALL and WALT President Mike Reynolds offered his synopsis of the 2021 vintage.“The 2021 vintage had a lack of water and that was everywhere” he said. “From December to April we had very little rain in 2021 and as a general rule the vines struggled and the vigor of the properties was defined by how much water you had.” He continued “Across all varieties we saw smaller yields and smaller berries because of the limitations in water. But the converse of that I think that wine quality is great with color and very powerful.”
What I noticed during the tasting was a very serious level of concentration even in the non-single vineyard wines. These are wines that have remarkable stuffing and freshness across the board. For those less familiar with WALT, the brand focuses on producing world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from a range of sites across California and Oregon. The winery was named after Kathryn Hall’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt who were originally vintners and were a source of daily inspiration for her. This unique winery project really showcases unique terroirs. I have loved these wines over the years and have always been especially fond of the wines made from from their estate vineyard, Bob’s Ranch, which is located in the Petaluma Wind Gap near Sebastapol. This site was purchased by the HALLs and has been producing some absolutely epic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that rivals anything out of Sonoma. The wines from this site are big, beautiful and full of bright acidity.
The new wines were sensational across the board. I absolutely loved their new 2020 WALT ‘Bob’s Ranch’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is big and bold, with great underlying freshness. I adored the 2020 WALT ‘Clos Pepe’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which shows terrific salty and stony character from this site near the Pacific Ocean. Learn more about these beautiful wines at https://www.waltwines.com Here are the beautiful new wines by WALT.
2021 WALT ‘Blue Jay’ Pinot Noir- WALT has 80 acres in the Anderson Valley that they source from. Once on the nose this takes on wet gravel and Bing cherry notes alongside shades of cinnamon and cloves. Very approachable on the mouth, this delivers a seamless texture and is loaded with bright red and dark fruits with loamy soils. Drink 2022-2030- 93
2021 WALT ‘Santa Rita Hills’ Pinot Noir- Mainly sourced from the Clos Pepe Vineyard, the 2021 WALT ‘Santa Rita Hills’ Pinot Noir reveals salty red fruits with orange rind and baking spices on the nose. The palate is lithe and fresh with a great sense of underlying salinity. Plush and round with refined tannins, this is gratifying Pinot Noir to enjoy now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2022-2030- 93
2021 WALT ‘Sierra Mar’ Pinot Noir- This Santa Lucia Highlands site, the ‘Sierra Mar Vineyard’ was planted back in 2007 which is south along this appellation and is a hillside location set at a high elevation. Wild red berries with garrigue and pomegranate seed with stony undertones all mark the nose.Very seamless on the mouth, this shows beautiful length and underlying tension. With plenty of mouth-watering acidity, this beauty is fantastic to savor now and over the next decade. Drink 2022-2032- 94
2021 WALT ‘Clos Pepe Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Steven and Kathy Pepe were pioneers in this region back in the 1980s. WALT has a long-term lease on this 25 acre property which is now 25 years in age. The nose is highly perfumed with red rose petal alongside kumquat rind, cigar box and beautifully pure red fruits. The palate is very salty and savory with red currants, tobacco leaf, wet and diatomaceous earth. Deep and concentrated, this is fantastic now and will bring drinking pleasure over the next fifteen years. Drink 2022-2037- 94
2021 WALT ‘Bob’s Ranch’ Pinot Noir- The stunning 2021 WALT ‘Bob’s Ranch’ Pinot Noir is a masterclass by this winemaking team. This Sonoma Coast AVA property has a wide range of Pinot Noir selections and is in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Stored in roughly 30% new French oak, this shows off dense blackberry and black cherry notes on the nose with shades of cola. Very seamless on the mouth, this effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. The salty and savory aspects, as well as the length, all add to the enjoyment. Drink 2022-2038- 95