Phil Davis talking about soil types, trellis systems, and caring for the vines.

On Saturday morning, the Taste Camp group split in half and went on breakfast vineyard walks. I was in the group headed to Damiani Wine Cellars to experience some of their scenery as well as their Pinot Noir. Upon arrival, there was a wonderful spread of  delicious quiches made by Amy, one of the dedicated Damiani employees. After we politely stuffed our faces with filling and delicious breakfast food, it was time for Phil Davis, the vineyard manager and master grape grower, to take us for a walk through the vineyard.

When driving by all of these rows upon rows of vines, it’s easy to look at them, think they’re beautiful, and think nothing more of it (that’s exactly what I did). When we started walking down into the vineyard, whoa nelly, it was very steep. Filled with rocks and unkempt grass, it wasn’t just a nice little stroll like I was expecting. It was a hike.

One of the first things I noticed was that the grass and plants between rows weren’t trimmed down. Phil explained that in times of heavy rain, they help soak up the excess so that the vines don’t have to take it on and cause the fruit to be less than optimal. As Phil talked, I could just see his passion for everything that he does out in the vineyard. He was a logger for 20-25 years before committing to vineyards full time. Such a kind and gentle person, but tough with his vines. He stresses them (makes them stretch their roots to find the nutrients), he uses a time consuming trellis system (specifically, the Scott Henry trellis system), and thins the fruit up to 20% (meaning that he cuts fruit from the vines before ripening) so that the good bunches can ripen to peak enjoyment. All of those things take genuine care, and Phil has plenty to go around.

Their rows of Pinot Noir.

It was such an education for me to be in that vineyard, listening to Phil and how he does things. He explained his processes in simple terms so those who had no idea could understand (like me) and when people asked questions, he was more than happy to answer them and demonstrate what he does. It really helps me appreciate the final product on a different level knowing about all of the work that goes into the grapes before they’re even picked. Serperately, Phil told me that he really just likes working with the vines and touching them. He’s so involved at every step of their growing process and wouldn’t have it any other way. He feels that the best grapes come out of that process, and from tasting the wines, I can’t disagree.

All that being said, Damiani is making some truly delicious Pinot Noir. We tried the 2007 Reserve, 2008 Reserve and the 2009 barrel sample (I’m not sure if it was the Reserve or not). The striking part was the variation between the 2007 and 2008. Both were good, but the 2007 had a slightly minty and vanilla flavor while the 2008 seemed much more fruit driven with fresh, ripe flavors. Even the 2009 sample had much different flavors, exhibiting some coffee flavors as well as a jammy quality. I would love to drink these wines any day of the week. Their price for the 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir is $32 and I don’t believe that the 2008 has been released. I could see myself splurging for their Pinot even though I have a strict under $25 policy.

As a side note: Luckily for Damiani, we tried these wines at about 9am when my palate wasn’t yet beaten up, so I was able to pick out much more nuances than throughout the rest of the weekend. There’s still more to write, but I fear my notes became less detailed.