By using classic, low-yielding winemaking techniques from premium vineyards and aging in the finest French oak barrels, we have been able to fully express the character of these vineyards and bring out the purity of this black grape variety.
FORAGER tells the story of how growing small amounts of delicious Pinot Noir, selecting and blending in small lots can result in authentically flavored and interesting wines.
We use natural cork that is carbon neutral and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, as cork forests absorb around one tonne of carbon per year.
We also use FSC-certified recycled paper, compostable inks, and have moved to lighter (467 gram) recycled glass bottles.
If recycling is available in your area, please do so.
The new labels feature original art by the late renowned Northern California artist Helen Steele.
We interpret her work as a family slowly fishing along the Sonoma coastline, finding mussels, clams, seaweed and other bounty from the sea.
This gorgeous Pinot Noir opens with aromas of ripe cherry and delicate rose.
Its youthful, lively and complex palate offers hints of ripe blood orange and cola.
Soft tannins and what we call "chewy" acidity combine with a rich texture to give it a surprisingly long, savory finish.
As this is a naturally made red wine with minimal intervention, some harmless, natural sediment may occur.
The western Sonoma Coast is known for having foggy, humid mornings, followed by winds that blow the fog away in the afternoon, followed by sunny afternoons and cool nights.
This is truly a godsend for top-tier Pinot Noir.
The 2021 Pinot Noir is made from two clones grown in low yielding, cool sites on gravelly loam soils.
Each location and clone has its own unique aroma, flavor and structure, and the blend was created taking advantage of these diverse elements.
The 2021 vintage, our 13th, offered an excellent growing season with abundant sunshine, adequate rainfall, cool nights and minimal pest problems.
The medium-sized bunches are deep in color, with aromas and flavors of ripe red fruit and a pleasant acidity.
The small bunches of Pinot Noir were hand-picked between the 9th and 22nd of September and were handled with great care in the cellar.
The grapes were hand-sorted, most of the stems were de-stemmed, crushed and then cold soaked for two days in a 5-ton open fermentation tank.
Part of the grapes were fermented whole bunch, which gave them a pleasant texture.
A small amount of natural SO2 was added during crushing and fermentation started with mostly wild yeasts and was completed with Burgundy yeasts.
Gentle fermentation at moderate temperatures (around 31°C) and punching down once a day helped to develop the wine's structure, colour and texture.
After gentle pressing (<1 bar), malolactic fermentation took place in barrel, followed by 11 months of ageing (unracked) which gives the wine a nuanced spice and a velvety mouthfeel.
New French oak barrels complement the aromas of the wine.
In June 2023, 44 barrels (approximately 1,045 cases) were bottled.
Jonathan Pay moved to Paris, France with his family as a teenager and fell in love with the beauty of wine. After returning to the United States and earning a bachelor's degree in agriculture from university, he worked for a French wine importer and further deepened his knowledge of wine.
After having the opportunity to collaborate with Robert Mondavi, he learned more about Napa Cabernet and founded TEXTBOOK in Napa Valley in 2004.
The wine quickly garnered critical acclaim and a loyal following.
In 2019 he sold it to an international wine group, but remains their advisor.
FORAGER was founded in the midst of the chaos of the 2008 financial crisis when a neighboring winery terminated its grape contract with its contracted farmers one week before the harvest. In an effort to help the farmers in their situation, FORAGER agreed to buy the grapes, even though there was no clear destination for the finished wine.
Currently, we aim to produce delicious wines that make the most of the characteristics of the land and produce small quantities of wine.
In 2003, after working with a winemaker at Penfolds in Australia, SPICERACK became fascinated with the depth of Syrah, which can grow in both warm and cool climates, and began making wine with it.SPICERACK's wines are made from grapes grown in Sonoma, which has warm, sunny days and surprisingly cold nights.
As its name suggests, this is a wonderfully balanced wine that allows you to taste a variety of spices.