About This Wine:

This wine is a meeting of opposites. Two vineyards, contribute to the blend. One located on a cool, foggy hillside within the Russian River Valley. The other, perched above the clouds on top of the old volcanic slopes of Sonoma Mountain. Ephemeral, perfumed notes signature of the Russian River, find weight and balance in the frame of Sonoma Mountain fruit.

The grapes were fermented in small open tops and barrel aged for 12 months in fine grained, French Oak., 30 % of which was new. The result- a decidedly feminine pinot. Aromas of rose petals, black cherry cola, alpine strawberries, vanilla and hints of mocha kaleidoscope together seamlessly. On the palate, juicy layers of chocolate covered cherries give way to undertones of sizzling bacon fat. The wine finish is lengthy, yet delicate, laced with red summer fruits and hints of spice.

About The Winery:

Truett-Hurst Winery is Dry Creek Valley’s newest Biodynamic winery. Our commitment to earth-friendly stewardship is paramount and echoes throughout everything we do, from the scenic stretch of bucolic Dry Creek on which we reside, through the vineyards and tasting room.

We are planting heritage clones of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah 
and intend to produce world class wines from them.
 We will also produce traditional, decadently delicious Port. 
We intend to bring forth the best of what Dry Creek Valley has to offer.

The partnership of Phil & Sylvia Hurst, Paul Dolan, his son Heath Dolan and Mark De Meulenaere is committed to making Truett-Hurst Winery a place that you will want to visit again and again. We encourage you to visit us during the building of the winery and the planting of our vineyards. Come join us, and be a part of our biodynamic winery from the ground up!

Sustainable stewardship – that’s what we are all about. We are committed to caring for our little piece of paradise: we are using sustainable farming practices – including planting crops and a huge Biodynamic garden that complement our vineyards; attracting beneficial insects, building raptor boxes for owls and hawks and providing a home for chickens, sheep, goats and cattle, we are working on a project to preserve the steelhead trout and salmon that live in our stretch of Dry Creek and we are remodeling our visitor’s center with organic and reclaimed materials.

We invite you to join us on our journey. 
Bring a picnic, enjoy our world-class wines, ask us some questions about biodynamic farming, relax and stay a while.

About Biodynamic Farming:

Biodynamics is a more intensive and restricted process than organic farming. A certified Biodynamic® farm meets all organic standards, such as the prohibited use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fungicides. The biodynamic approach goes further, requiring disciplined soil enrichment, constant observation, labor-intensive fieldwork, and ongoing, intuitive awareness. A biodynamic farmer maintains a close connection with the land.

• Biodynamic farming develops a self-contained ecosystem, integrating the cultivated land with the surrounding environment. Ideally, only farm-produced organic composts and manure amend the soil. Domestic animal life integrates with plant life. Year-round cover and companion crops provide host environments for beneficial insects. Diligent handwork controls weeds.

• The health of the soil increases the expression of terroir, that unique “taste of place”. Throughout the growing season, the farmer applies a series of nutrient-rich biodynamic preparations to the soil, thereby stimulating the life.

• Responding to the natural life forces above and below the ground, biodynamic farming aligns farming practices, such as pruning, planting, and the applications of special preparations, with the lunar cycles.

• Biodynamic® certification by the Demeter Association, a non-profit, independent organization, guarantees that the farm has met specific standards of biodynamic agriculture.

Our Winemaking Team:

Phil Hurst – Phil Hurst grew up on a 1000-acre ranch on the eastern hills of Napa Valley where his family raised cattle, horses and sheep. “That’s what gave me the ag bug,” says Phil. He is still proud of the reserve grand champion steer that he raised to show at the Napa Town and Country Fair.

As a teenager he worked in wineries during summers. When he headed to the University of California at Davis, he intended to become a veterinarian, but a great summer job at Domaine Chandon inspired a new vision. Phil studied Fermentation Science, earning a BS degree in 1985, the same year he joined Paul Dolan and the winemaking team at Fetzer Vineyards. “We did a lot of organic farming then, with great results,” Phil recalls. When Brown-Forman (B-F) purchased the winery from the Fetzer family in 1992, B-F appointed Phil their International Winemaker.

After 12 years at Fetzer, Phil joined Golden State Vineyards (GSV), serving as Vice President of International Sales. While at GSV, Phil met the people who became his partners in Winery Exchange, a venture-backed company founded in 1999 to source, create and develop private labels and national brands of fine beer, wine and spirits. In 2007 sales reached $50 million. Phil is co-founder and was Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing.

Over the years the Dolan-Hurst relationship, which began at Fetzer, has grown. The two families share a mutual dream: to build a small wine estate where they can practice the highest level of earth-friendly farming and make the finest wine. In 2007 Phil and his wife Sylvia joined Paul and Heath Dolan in the purchase of a 24-acre property in the heart of Dry Creek Valley. Phil loves this land – its beautiful views of the valley and neighboring hills, pristine character and creek-side venues. “I want this to be a family legacy where my boys will someday get involved with winemaking, grapegrowing and marketing. Right now, I want them to learn to drive the tractor,” says Phil.

Phil and his wife Sylvia live in Dry Creek Valley, Healdsburg, with their two sons.

Virginia Lambrix – Raised on her family’s farm in upstate New York, Ginny Lambrix graduated from Colgate University with a degree in Psychology. She began her career as a chemical ecologist for the Max Planck Institute in eastern Germany. While on holiday in South Africa, she tasted her first “serious wine”. She was captivated, and within a year she was studying Horticulture and Agronomy at the University of California, Davis. Her focus was Viticulture and Enology; in 2003 she received her MS degree.

She worked in Chile for Concha y Toro; while there Ginny visited a vineyard that impressed her with the potential of Biodynamic® farming. “There was so much life in that vineyard,” she recalls. Ever since that revelation in 2005, she has been a student of Rudolf Steiner and biodynamic farming. “The more I study organics and biodynamics, the more I realize that the inherent respect for nature and ecology makes sense both scientifically and intuitively.”

Before joining Truett Hurst in 2008, Ginny worked at Hendry Ranch in Napa Valley and for Lynmar Winery and De Loach Vineyards in the Russian River Valley. At De Loach Vineyards for 3 years, she worked closely with growers to move their estates to organic and biodynamic farming practices to improve quality and moderate farming costs. Ginny has worked for La Follette Winegrowing, consulting on viticulture and winemaking projects.

Technical Analysis:

Appellation: Sonoma County

Varietal: 100 % Pinot noir

Alc: 14.5 %

Residual Sugar: Dry

Aging: 12 months French oak, 30% new

Production: 400 cases