ENA Mariah Vineyard Pinot Noir Mendocino Ridge 2021

One of our newest favorites, ENA wines is made with French finesse and Italian flair using flavorful California fruit. This debut vintage of Pinot Noir is the second offering from winemakers Eglantine Chauffour and Alberto Bianchi. These two are no strangers to travel, having worked in nearly every wine region that you'd want to drink wine from; from Europe to Australia and New Zealand, to South Africa and Argentina. Winemaking brought the two together in 2010 while working at Cape Mentelle in Margaret River, Australia. Eglantine, who hails from Provence, and Alberto, a Milanese, settled in Sonoma County in 2014, hoping to bring the cultures and winemaking style of their travels to Northern California. In the couple's own words "ENA wines are made to share our passion, to make you travel in a unique place and time and mostly to be enjoyed" and we know the 2019 Pinot Noir will do just that.

The expression of place and time in wine is linked so strongly to the winemaking ethos at ENA that the brand was launched only after discovering Mariah Vineyards in Mendocino County. Both Eglantine and Alberto were awed and inspired amongst the vines and knew their search was over. Mariah Vineyards, owned and farmed by Dan and Vicki Dooling, sits at an astonishing 2,600 feet of elevation, 5 miles off the Pacific coast in the Mendocino Ridge AVA. One of the smallest sub-AVAs in California, it boasts only 75 acres planted to vine and is the only non-contiguous wine region in the country. Vineyards must sit above 1,200 feet of elevation to be considered Mendocino Ridge which places them above the fog line and has garnered them the nickname "islands in the fog" as the peaks break through the dense clouds. This elevation provides strong sun exposure which allows the grapes to ripen fully during the day and rest with cool ocean breezes at night. The rocky, mountain soils lend to good drainage and vines that dig deep into the earth, producing wines with powerful aromatics and intense minerality.

The winemakers at ENA are committed to authentic expression of the terroir of their wines and therefore are conscious of the environmental effects of the winemaking process. Mariah Vineyards is organically farmed using no irrigation. In addition to their sustainable practices in the vineyard, you will notice ENA wines are in lightweight bottles with no capsules, helping to limit their carbon footprint. This lip-smacking wine was fermented with natural yeasts, including 20% whole clusters, in stainless steel tanks for ten days with twice daily punch downs. It was then racked into neutral French oak barrels to age for just nine months. The elegant and fresh nose is ample, opening with cranberries, raspberries, and red currant, developing into wild dark cherries and violet. On the palate, the tangible brightness awakes your senses and makes this wine tense yet inviting, calling for another sip. Its juicy character is addicting! The opulent mid-palate delivers plushness and pleasure in a fresh fashion while the delicate tannin structure acts as a silky layer on the palate. Eglantine and Alberto spent their careers working and traveling the world and have brought forth a classic Pinot Noir expression from one of California's up-and-coming wine-growing regions.