Richard G. Peterson Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 2017

The word 'legendary' gets tossed around a little too flippantly these days, don't you think? We here at ACME reserve the use of this word for bigger things, like the impact made by Dr. Richard Grant Peterson. He has worn many hats in the wine industry, notably as the Winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards from 1968 to 1973, working alongside the celebrated André Tchelistcheff. He is also the patriarch of a delightful Napa Valley family, which happens to include his famous winemaking daughter, Heidi Peterson Barrett (whose winemaking resume includes Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family Vineyards, Revana, Kenzo, and her own label, La Sirena). Born in Iowa during the Great Depression, Dick Peterson grew up on his family's farm and was introduced to home winemaking at an early age. After earning his Ph.D. in Agricultural Chemistry from UC Berkeley, he began his career with E & J Gallo Winery, where he eventually became Research Director and Assistant Production Manager, in charge of all winemaking. In 1968, he replaced Andre Tchelistcheff as Winemaker for Beaulieu Vineyards, and in 1974, he became Winemaker and President of The Monterey Vineyard. In 1986, he became Winemaker and President of Atlas Peak Vineyards in Napa Valley.

Dick Peterson also invented many wine techniques still in use today, such as 'no topping, bung-and-roll,' a practice for barrel-aging red wines. He is the original designer of the steel barrel pallet, which allows wine barrels to be handled mechanically instead of by hand. The pallets are now used in most American wineries and around the world. He is also the author of the celebrated autobiographical book "The Winemaker," which chronicles California's fascinating wine revival following the repeal of Prohibition. In addition, Dr. Peterson helped to bring a special clone of Pinot Noir to the United States, which had been found coiling up a rock wall in Wrotham Village in southern England in the 1950s, an ancient leftover bit of biologic material from the Roman Empire. This artifact was transported to the US, where Dr. Peterson worked with UC Davis researchers to identify the strange-looking grapes as a clone of Pinot Noir, one never seen before outside of that tiny town in England. The Wrotham ("root-am") Clone produces a distinctly rich color and spicy character not often found in Pinot Noir wines. Dr. Peterson eventually planted a tiny amount of the Wrotham Clone Pinot here in northern Napa Valley and Monterey County's Santa Lucia Highlands, and the results were worth the years of research and waiting. To this day, these two sites are the only Wrotham Pinot Noir vineyards in America. Dick has founded and been a member of several professional wine societies and is a sought-after judge at prominent national and international wine competitions. Today, he has the name of his own bottles, crafting two limited production wines for his boutique brand; a Brut Rosé sparkling wine and an Old-World, Burgundian-style Pinot Noir. At 87 years of age, Dr. Peterson's rich history in the wine industry has more than earned him the title of "legend."  The Richard G. Peterson 2017 Pinot Noir is produced in an elegant, Burgundian style from Peterson's vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA situated just southeast of Monterey Bay, composed of 50% R-4 and 50% Wrotham Clone. The iconic Dr. Peterson is the only person in the United States to produce this combination of clones, making his Pinot Noir truly one-of-kind. Pale ruby-purple in color, the wine opens with compelling earthy notes of fungi, damp soil, and underbrush over a core of kirsch, raspberry leaves, and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing and layered with juicy red berry flavors and spice, followed by soft, silky tannins and a long, mineral-laced finish.  A mere 385 cases were produced!