Region: Anderson Valley, California

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: The 2023 Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir is richly expressive and impeccably balanced. Aromas of black cherry, mulberry preserves, and rose hip are threaded with graphite, incense, and a whisper of wild earth—equal parts fragrant and complex. On the palate, silky tannins and vibrant acidity frame concentrated red and blue fruit, lifted by herbal nuance and a pure, mineral finish. Elegant now yet undeniably structured for cellaring, it’s a prime example of why Failla’s Savoy bottling remains a crown jewel in New-World Pinot.

Producer: Failla Wines, led by Ehren Jordan and Kim Staretta, has become a celebrated voice in California Pinot Noir through its dedication to organic farming, Burgundian sensibility, and vineyard transparency. The “Savoy Vineyard” bottling stands out as one of their most expressive and terroir-specific cuvées, coming from a site first planted by Rich Savoy in the early 1990s. Over the years, Failla has quietly established itself as a marker of purity, precision, and grace in Anderson Valley Pinot—qualities exemplified beautifully in this single-vineyard release.

Vineyard & Winemaking: Savoy Vineyard is a mosaic of vine material and soils: roughly two-thirds Pinot Noir (with clones like Pommard, Martini, and Wädenswil) interplanted in former Chardonnay blocks. The terrain transitions from sandstone-derived sandy loams on knolls—yielding moderate and low vigor—to richer alluvial terraces underlain by clay loams, where moisture retention is higher and dry-farming is possible. For the 2023 vintage, fruit was harvested by hand, underwent 50% whole-cluster fermentation with native yeasts, and aged for 11 months in French oak—with about 20% new—before bottling unfined and unfiltered.