Wilde Farm Donnelly Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 2014

Antonio Galloni
The 2014 Pinot Noir Donnelly Creek Vineyard is pretty, gracious and nicely lifted throughout. Sweet red cherry, sage, mint, orange peel and spice are all nicely delineated. The 2014 was done with 80% whole clusters, which gives it a slightly fleeting personality. My impression is that the 2014 could use a bit more depth, although there is good inner sweetness and pliancy.

Pax Mahle makes Wilde Farm wines. He has a light touch and a craftsman’s approach. Together, we work hard to ensure that Pax has the best materials available and that as a team we screw it up as little as possible. We source grapes from old vine, low yield sites, where soil, climate and honest farming practices allow for a full expression of the type of grape and the place the grapes come from. We only offer vineyard designated wines (so far).We pick when the grapes are ripe and ready. Yeasts are ambient, oak is neutral and fermentation happens at its own pace. We sometimes include stems in the primary fermentation, when it makes sense. We bottle our wines unfined and unfiltered. We sell them when we think they are delicious.

Wilde Farm was a place long before it was a wine. Built in 1907 by Samuel Wilde, a successful coffee and spice trader, Wilde Farm began as a horse farm, with a generous kitchen garden of vegetables and herbs. It is of the Colonial Revival style popular at the time. The edifice itself is purposefully constructed, with hand-hewn floorboards, chestnut moldings, high, plastered ceilings and strong, honest lines. Much like its eponymous wine, the house was expertly crafted of honest materials and made to age gracefully. About twenty years ago, my wife and I took over custody of Wilde Farm. There we have raised three beautiful boys, in the only home they have ever known.Wilde Farm makes wines from old vines and exceptional vineyards. Quantities are very small. Our wines are bright, balanced and made by hand. They emphasize a balance of acid and fruit. As an added bonus they age great.