Handley Cellars/A Family Affair/Anderson Valley

Handley Cellars is a small family-owned winery in California’s Mendocino County. Bonded in 1982, we produce around 12,000 cases of wine a year. Our quality starts with our Estate Vineyards in Anderson Valley. We are located at the northwest end of the Anderson Valley on 59 acres of the original Holmes Ranch. Still standing on the property are the now-refurbished ranch house, barn, and the original water tower. At Handley Cellars, we offer a wide variety of wines that complement today’s diverse cuisines. Winemaker Milla Handley seeks to make balanced wines that possess distinctive varietal characteristics, wines that reflect the soil and climate in which they were grown. Handley’s beautiful tasting room is located 6 miles northwest of Philo, California, on Highway 128. We offer tours by appointment, and our garden courtyard is open for picnics. Stop by to try our selections and, while visiting, enjoy our unique display of folk art collected from around the world.We have four Pinot Noirs from this winery,and today we will feature two of them.Then we go out of Anderson valley and will feature the Zinfandel and Syrah from Handley Cellar.First let's check out the tasting notes on our featured wines. Cool spring temperatures and late spring rains delayed bloom in 2011. Temperatures were mild throughout the growing season, further delaying ripening of the grapes. In the Handley Estate Vineyard, we thinned the crop extensively to encourage ripening. Yields were low due to these challenging conditions. To achieve balance in vintages like 2011, we source grapes from warmer inland regions. Iron Oak vineyards in Potter Valley as well as Helluva and Ferrington Vineyards near Boonville provided lush ripe fruit with bright red characters. The grapes from Corby Vineyard, located in central Anderson Valley, contributed a deep dark rich core with a lot of weight on the palate. Handley Estate, Klindt, and Romani Vineyards, all situated in the cooler end of Anderson Valley yielded the more acid and high-toned fruit that create structure and balance. The grapes were destemmed leaving about 40% whole berries. We pumped the must into open top fermenters and allowed it to cold soak two to three days before inoculating it with a mix of yeasts that impart traditional Pinot Noir characters including Harmony, D254, RC212, MV 3001, and Assmanhausen. After completing fermentation the wine was pumped to a tank to settle for three days before being racked to French Oak barrels (26% new). It was stirred on the lees until completing malcolactic fermentation to enhance mouth feel, then barrel aged for ten months before being sterile filtered and bottled. This vintage of Pinot Noir offers aromas of cherry pie, cola, cherry liqueur and orange peel, followed by flavors of tart black cherry, pomegranate, boysenberry and a hint of herbaceous oregano. Enjoy this Pinot with Teriyaki chicken, barbequed pulled pork or salmon gravlax. The fruit for this wine comes from two different vineyards located in the Redwood Valley, Kazmet and Oldham. These older, head-pruned vineyards provide rich, ripe fruit that this warmer inland region is known for. The special strain of yeast used in the ferment brings out the fruity flavors and mineral characteristics of the varietal unique to the North Coast region. Aromas of blackberry pie and cassis complement undertones of green tea, star anise, and rock dust. Flavors of tart black plum and ollallieberry with hints of black tea and caraway. The flavors will develop in the glass if given time. When young, consider decanting this wine before consumption. A medium weight-wine with great structure, this expression of Zinfdandel will pair beautifully with food. Fabulous with salty and/or smoky charcuterie, such as prosciutto or Jamon Iberico or Serrano. Great with pepperoni pizza! Try it with any sort of barbecue or a meaty fish, grilled over fire. Kazmet is a small, family-owned vineyard in the Redwood Valley appellation of inland Mendocino County. The Syrah vines were planted in 1998, and are head-pruned. Blackberries grow among the vines, which some say influences the flavor of the grapes. 2011 was a cooler than average vintage, providing ripe fruit flavors at a lower alcohol. This full bodied wine is both complex and balanced, exhibiting aromas of cedar, white pepper, chocolate, dark berry, black cherry, and tobacco. The wine is full and smooth on the palate with dark plum, black cherry, cassis, sage and chocolate, and finishes with tart plum flavors and moderate tannins. The structure and fruit profile of this Syrah make it a perfect match for fatty meats, such as Beef or Pork Shortribs or Duck, and also with smoky barbecue. Tallegio or a similar type of cheese works perfectly. Click here and yes,it's Pinot Noir time. Click here and join us.We have 2 great glasses for you.