A huge part of what I love about this Vintner Program is accessing deep library selections of limited production wines and passing that exclusive access on to you, our Mayacama Members. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it makes me incredibly proud to be the Wine Director here at the Club. Today is one of those special days.

Since the start of my career as a Sommelier, Ehren Jordan's Failla wines have consistently been brought up in conversations regarding the most prominent and exciting producers of California Pinot Noir.

Named Winemaker of the Year in 2008 by leading American wine critic Jon Bonné of the San Francisco Chronicle, Jordan has paved an influential path in the California winemaking world with his long resumé of notable winemaking jobs. Marcassin, Neyers Vineyards, Turley Wine Cellars (winemaker for 18 years), and of course his own labels, Failla, and Day, all make up his versatile journey.

Jordan established Failla in 1998 to further dial in his focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from cool-climate sites on the Sonoma Coast. From time spent early on in his career in Southern France's Rhone Valley with celebrated oenologist Jean-Luc Columbo, Ehren grew a passion for Syrah and today expresses that passion by producing a coastal California Syrah from his Estate vineyard within the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA.

While Failla does bottle most of its wine from its Estate Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast (92-acre ranch, 11 planted acres, 1000 – 1400 ft. elevation, organically dry-farmed), Jordan also sources fruit some of the most famed coastal California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, most of which are not too far from Failla's home property.

One of my favorite Failla single parcel bottlings comes from Occidental Ridge Vineyard, a wind-swept, sun-drenched promontory above the little town of Occidental. Planted in 1999 by Richard and Darla Radcliffe, the Pinot Noir made from this site has some of the implicit richness of the Russian River wines but with a remarkable raciness of structure that can only be associated with the Sonoma Coast. Only two winemakers have been granted contracts to buy fruit and make wine from this site – Ehren Jordan and Thomas Rivers Brown (Rivers-Marie).

The second vineyard of note is Hirsch Vineyard. Founded in 1980 by David Hirsch, this site sits at 1500 ft. elevation with the Pacific Ocean visible just three miles to the southwest. The vineyard lies adjacent to the San Andreas Fault, which results in a myriad of soil types and exposures that play host to more than 60 distinct blocks over 72 planted acres. Ehren has been working with the Hirsch family (David and his daughter Jasmine) and purchasing their fruit since 2001.

Chardonnay is also a big part of Ehren's focus, and in my professional opinion, the best single vineyard white wine bottling he produces comes from the Hudson Vineyard in Carneros. Ehren and grape grower Lee Hudson go way back - all the way back to Ehren's days at Neyers where he made Chardonnay, Syrah, and Grenache from this esteemed southwestern Napa Valley Site. The vineyard sits on a 2000-acre ranch that Lee purchased in 1979 and slowly developed into one of Napa Valley's most recognizable vineyard names. This close association has allowed Failla to enjoy vineyard-designate status from Hudson since 2010.

It is an absolute honor to bring to you today a library offering of Failla wines from all three of these famed single vineyard sites. Additionally, we have been allocated a small amount of 2016 Failla Brut 2G – a sparkling wine project that Ehren produces from a blend of 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 2016 is just the second vintage of Brut 2G.

Because of the limited nature of the two Pinot Noirs and the Hudson Chardonnay, and because I want to make sure to spread the love, I am putting a 6-bottle max purchase on each wine.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions regarding the wines. Thank you for your support!

Cheers!

Carey Vanderborg - Wine Director

2016 Failla, 2G, Brut, Sonoma Coast - $85

2018 Failla, Chardonnay, Hudson Vineyard, Napa Valley - $50

2015 Failla, Pinot Noir, Occidental Ridge Vineyard, Sonoma Coast - $90

2014 Failla, Pinot Noir, Hirsch Vineyard, Sonoma Coast - $100

Click here for more information about the wines.

Six-bottle maximum order for each wine