2023 Vivier - Pinot Noir Sonoma Mountain Van der Kamp Vineyard (750ml)
Vivier Wines was founded by Stéphane Vivier and Dana Sexton Vivier, a partnership that grew out of both a shared passion for wine and a shared life together. Stéphane grew up in the Burgundian village of Meloisey, learning a patient, hands-off style of winemaking from an elderly neighbor before earning formal degrees in viticulture and enology at the Université de Bourgogne. He went on to become winemaker at Hyde de Villaine in Napa, working under the guidance of Aubert de Villaine of Burgundy's Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, an experience that shaped the restrained, site-driven approach he brings to his own label today.
Van der Kamp Vineyard sits at 1,500 feet on a north-facing bench of Sonoma Mountain, a site once considered sacred ground by local Native Americans and now recognized as one of California's oldest Pinot Noir vineyards, with plantings dating back to 1952. The vineyard is farmed organically at high elevation, conditions that push the vines to produce small yields of concentrated, structured fruit rather than sheer ripeness.
The 2023 shows the vivid acidity and racy tannins characteristic of this site, giving the wine an impressive texture and real aging potential. It carries the earthy, mountain-grown character of Sonoma Mountain fruit and pairs beautifully with braised oxtail, roasted pheasant, or aged gruyère.