Camino, “Umino Vineyard” Pinot Noir on Sale

Camino, “Umino Vineyard” Pinot Noir

In a few recent offers, I’ve mentioned the rise of “micro-négociants” in Burgundy: producers who purchase grapes from contract growers but whose relationships with those growers are much more than transactional. A micro-négociant puts its partner-growers on a pedestal, making the vineyard designation on a label as important as the proprietor name. And such producers are not unique to Burgundy: Today we have a great example of a California micro-négociant in Tadeo Borchardt, whose Camino label is all about, as he puts it, “compelling vineyards from committed farmers.” 

Having made wine for others for more than 15 years, most famously at the acclaimed Neyers Vineyards in Napa Valley, Borchardt launched a personal project and named it Camino, for the “journey,” or “path” he’s been on in the world of wine. Today’s wine is indeed the celebration of a compelling vineyard and a committed farmer, Dave Umino, who planted Dijon clones of Pinot Noir in the Sebastopol Hills in 1996. After tasting Camino’s exquisitely balanced, seductively silky 2017 from this site, we drilled down on its terroir bona-fides like it was a Premier Cru in Chambolle-Musigny—and it delivered. Tack on an incredibly reasonable price for a Pinot of real pedigree and we couldn’t wait to get this up on the site. Only about 100 cases were made, so I’d advise quick action!

Tadeo Borchardt worked in restaurants and, for a time, as an elementary school teacher before moving out to California in 2002 to start his wine journey at Copain. Apprenticeships in New Zealand, France, and Italy followed, and in 2004, he took a position at Neyers working alongside winemaker Ehren Jordan. Tadeo took over head winemaker responsibilities after Jordan departed and he remains at the helm today, while simultaneously making small-lot wines under his Camino label. In addition to this Pinot Noir from the Umino Vineyard, he works with two other well-known growers: Chuy Ordaz of Monticello Vineyards on Sonoma’s Moon Mountain, and the Pisoni/Franscioni families of the Soberanes Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

The Umino Vineyard, meanwhile, is perched on a south-facing slope at the confluence of three cool-climate growing zones: Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, and the Petaluma Wind Gap. Located just west of Sebastopol, in the sub-zone known as the Sebastopol Hills, the Umino site measures 11 acres and is devoted entirely to Pinot Noir. It’s just a few miles away from Ted Lemon’s Littorai Winery and its “Pivot” estate vineyard, and is considered one of the best-positioned sites in the area. The Sebastopol Hills are positioned in such a way that wines from the area can carry either a Sonoma Coast or Russian River Valley AVA. Tadeo chose the former for his Camino bottling, feeling that it more effectively represented the wine’s cool-climate origins.
 
Today’s 2017, all 110 cases of it (!), was fermented using mostly whole grape clusters and aged 10 months in 25% new French oak. It is plush and polished, while also displaying a terrific tension and forest-floor quality that is often missing from more ultra-ripe, ultra-oaked California Pinots. In the glass, a dark ruby core moves out to a pink-hued rim. Intensely perfumed aromas of strawberry blossoms, ripe cherries, and fresh flowers come to life on the palate, accentuated by notes of turned earth, exotic baking spices, and cardamom. The wine is medium-plus in body, with loads of rich, sweet fruit on the palate that lead to a long and concentrated finish. This is not your average Pinot—this wine is firing on all cylinders, right down to the quality-to-price aspect. I recommend serving the wine out of Burgundy stems at a cool 60-65 degrees, made better when enjoyed alongside roast chicken or duck breast with cherries and roasted potatoes. Due to the wine’s ample fruit, I’d steer clear of citrus, salmon, and other hearty fish. The moral of the story here is that you never know what to expect when pulling the cork on a new wine—and to be as floored as we were with ‘Umino Vineyard’ is the best of surprises. Cheers!