Failla 'Olivet Ranch' Pinot Noir, Russian River, California 2023
Pickup available at DECANT Napa - 2999 Solano, Napa, CA
Usually ready in 1 hour
Failla (pronounced FAY-LA) was founded in 1998 by winemaker Ehren Jordan and his wife Anne-Marie Failla with the vision of producing elegant, cool-climate wines inspired by traditional Burgundian methods. Ehren Jordan, named San Francisco Chronicle's 2008 Winemaker of the Year, trained extensively in France's Rhône Valley with renowned winemaker Jean-Luc Colombo before returning to California to work for Neyers Vineyards and Turley Wine Cellars. His viticultural training in France deeply influences his farming and minimalist winemaking philosophy. In 2011, Jordan acquired a 14-acre vineyard on Olivet Road in Santa Rosa, directly adjacent to the legendary Olivet Lane Vineyard, home to some of the first Pinot Noir planted in the Russian River AVA. The estate operates a state-of-the-art bi-level winery and nearly 12,000-square-foot wine cave in St. Helena, featuring concrete egg fermentation rooms and gravity-flow equipment. Failla's wines are celebrated for their crystalline purity, elegant structure, and authentic expressions of cool-climate terroir.
- WINEMAKER: Ehren Jordan
- FARMING: Practicing Biodynamic (vineyard converted to organic farming immediately upon acquisition in 2011)
- VARIETY: 100% Pinot Noir from Martini, Swan, and Calera clones
- TERROIR: Olivet Ranch is a 14-acre site situated on the Santa Rosa Plain in the heart of the Russian River Valley AVA, directly adjacent to the historic Olivet Lane Vineyard. The vineyard is planted on Huichica loam soils with gentle slopes of 0-5% at approximately 50 feet elevation. The site benefits from the Russian River Valley's signature cool marine influence, with morning fog moderating temperatures and allowing for extended hang time. The vineyard has proven to exceed expectations vintage after vintage and has become the nursery for Failla's future plantings throughout the estate.
- VINIFICATION: Grapes are hand-harvested and gently processed using traditional Burgundian techniques. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with native yeasts in small open-top fermenters. The wine is fermented with 25% whole cluster inclusion to add complexity and structural elegance. Each lot is fermented separately, allowing for precise expression of individual vineyard blocks. Following fermentation, the wine undergoes natural malolactic conversion with indigenous bacteria.
- AGING: Aged for approximately 11 months in French oak barrels, with 15-20% new oak. The wine is aged on its gross lees before racking and blending. Bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve aromatic complexity and textural purity.
- TASTING NOTES: Opulent baked cherry and fresh raspberry aromatics mingle with floral notes, wild herbs, green peppercorns, and cola spice. The palate shows concentrated red berry fruit—strawberry, raspberry, and pomegranate—with vibrant acidity providing lift and energy. Mid-weight and gracious, with crushed flowers, sweet dried cherry, orange zest, and savory herbal notes. Elegant tannins are juicy yet structured. The finish reveals subtle notes of cocoa powder, violets, roasted shiitake, cedar, leather, tobacco, and sandalwood, with lingering minerality.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Roasted duck or duck confit; grilled wild salmon with herbs; mushroom risotto; braised short ribs; herb-roasted chicken; charcuterie boards with aged cheeses; miso-glazed black cod; wild game such as venison or quail; coq au vin.
- SCORES: 94 James Suckling, 94 Wine Enthusiast, 93 Vinous (Antonio Galloni), 92 Vinous
Failla (pronounced FAY-LA) was founded in 1998 by winemaker Ehren Jordan and his wife Anne-Marie Failla with the vision of producing elegant, cool-climate wines inspired by traditional Burgundian methods. Ehren Jordan, named San Francisco Chronicle's 2008 Winemaker of the Year, trained extensively in France's Rhône Valley with renowned winemaker Jean-Luc Colombo before returning to California to work for Neyers Vineyards and Turley Wine Cellars. His viticultural training in France deeply influences his farming and minimalist winemaking philosophy. In 2011, Jordan acquired a 14-acre vineyard on Olivet Road in Santa Rosa, directly adjacent to the legendary Olivet Lane Vineyard, home to some of the first Pinot Noir planted in the Russian River AVA. The estate operates a state-of-the-art bi-level winery and nearly 12,000-square-foot wine cave in St. Helena, featuring concrete egg fermentation rooms and gravity-flow equipment. Failla's wines are celebrated for their crystalline purity, elegant structure, and authentic expressions of cool-climate terroir.
- WINEMAKER: Ehren Jordan
- FARMING: Practicing Biodynamic (vineyard converted to organic farming immediately upon acquisition in 2011)
- VARIETY: 100% Pinot Noir from Martini, Swan, and Calera clones
- TERROIR: Olivet Ranch is a 14-acre site situated on the Santa Rosa Plain in the heart of the Russian River Valley AVA, directly adjacent to the historic Olivet Lane Vineyard. The vineyard is planted on Huichica loam soils with gentle slopes of 0-5% at approximately 50 feet elevation. The site benefits from the Russian River Valley's signature cool marine influence, with morning fog moderating temperatures and allowing for extended hang time. The vineyard has proven to exceed expectations vintage after vintage and has become the nursery for Failla's future plantings throughout the estate.
- VINIFICATION: Grapes are hand-harvested and gently processed using traditional Burgundian techniques. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with native yeasts in small open-top fermenters. The wine is fermented with 25% whole cluster inclusion to add complexity and structural elegance. Each lot is fermented separately, allowing for precise expression of individual vineyard blocks. Following fermentation, the wine undergoes natural malolactic conversion with indigenous bacteria.
- AGING: Aged for approximately 11 months in French oak barrels, with 15-20% new oak. The wine is aged on its gross lees before racking and blending. Bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve aromatic complexity and textural purity.
- TASTING NOTES: Opulent baked cherry and fresh raspberry aromatics mingle with floral notes, wild herbs, green peppercorns, and cola spice. The palate shows concentrated red berry fruit—strawberry, raspberry, and pomegranate—with vibrant acidity providing lift and energy. Mid-weight and gracious, with crushed flowers, sweet dried cherry, orange zest, and savory herbal notes. Elegant tannins are juicy yet structured. The finish reveals subtle notes of cocoa powder, violets, roasted shiitake, cedar, leather, tobacco, and sandalwood, with lingering minerality.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Roasted duck or duck confit; grilled wild salmon with herbs; mushroom risotto; braised short ribs; herb-roasted chicken; charcuterie boards with aged cheeses; miso-glazed black cod; wild game such as venison or quail; coq au vin.
- SCORES: 94 James Suckling, 94 Wine Enthusiast, 93 Vinous (Antonio Galloni), 92 Vinous