Hartford Family Winery

by Alexandra Russell

Hartford Family Winery

8075 Martinelli Road
Forestville, CA 95436
(707) 887-8010

www.hartfordwines.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily in peak season; closed Tuesdays November-April
Tasting fees: $5-$15 (applies to purchases)
Wines currently offered: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel
Appointment necessary: No

Food pairings: No

Picnics: No

Located down a rustic, wooded road outside Forestville, Hartford Family Winery is a grand, luxurious and welcoming structure—both in scale and design. Once there, you stroll the intimate garden patio area, then through the heavy double doors into the tasting room. You first enter an oversized “living room,” complete with high ceilings, warm colors and an overstuffed couch. To the right, an intimate and formal tasting salon beckons, complete with displays of wine, olive oil, clothing, books and merchandise. Behind these tranquil enclaves, the winery operations were in full swing when we visited, readying tanks, barrels and equipment for the approaching harvest—but here, there’s no hint of the commotion.

Instead, guests are treated to friendly, one-on-one attention from a host; ours is Pamela Soper, whose knowledge of Hartford wines is second only to her enthusiasm. Almost before the formal hellos are finished, she’s pouring a generous taste of Hartford’s 2007 Stone Côte Chardonnay, an Old World-style wine that’s sourced from an estate-owned block within the Durrell vineyard, on an ancient flood plain in the southern end of the Sonoma Valley. “This vineyard is very rocky,” she says. “You’re tasting a lot of minerality from those stones.”

We continue through Chardonnays, including the classic, California-style 2006 Four Hearts Vineyards and the 2007 Laura’s (named for winery co-owner and Jenny Hartford’s sister, Laura Jackson-Giron), which is only made “in the best years and is from ‘heirloom’ old-vine Russian River Valley vineyards.” Each one is delicious and distinct—boasting some traditional characteristics, but also truly tempered by the diverse soils and climates where it’s cultivated.

All Hartford Family wines are either estate grown or sourced from longstanding vineyard relationships. “Most of our vineyards are stressed by the natural weather patterns where they’re located. Many of our vineyards are located in the hills of Russian River Valley and on higher ridges along the Sonoma Coast. Higher elevation Pinot Noirs tend to yield firmer-structured styles; you usually get small berries and lower yeilds. These wines are more luscious, complex and flavorful than wines that come from the more fertile valley floor soils. That’s the profile we’re looking for.”

As we move on to Pinot, Soper shares some of the winery’s history. “Don and Jenny Hartford purchased this property in 1993 and the first crush was 1994. The first vintage consisted of two Pinot Noirs and one old-vine Zinfandel.” Today, Hartford boasts up to four Chardonnays, 10 Pinot Noirs and six old-vine Zinfandels. Of course, we couldn’t taste them all—but we were up for trying!

The 2006 Land’s Edge Pinot Noir, from “the true Sonoma Coast, where the land meets the water,” has the sweetness and color of cherries. Soper calls it “Classic coastal Pinot. All that lovely foggy weather cools the vineyards, but when you go to the higher elevation blocks within these vineyards, it actually gets a bit warmer. Due to the proximity to the ocean, you may even taste a little sea salt in the finish.”

In contrast, the 2006 Far Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir is earthier and smells of dust and tobacco. The 2006 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir (which, like the Land’s End, has been served at the White House) is made from one of the oldest Pinot Noir vineyards in Russian River Valley and has a distinct nuttiness.

Most Hartford wines are available via retail shops, though certain special offerings can only be had through the tasting room or wine club. The winery hosts two wine club events per year, which include food, new release wine and music.

We continue to journey through varietals with the 2005 Sonoma Coast Syrah (available only at the tasting room), a Rhone-style wine that’s dense and spicy, with ripe berries everywhere, before segueing to Zinfandels. After the winery was established, Soper tells us, the Hartfords purchased a house that had the remnants of a Zinfandel vineyard on the property, “and their neighbor, Peter Fanucci, had lovely old Zinfandel vines too.” Almost all the Zinfandel vineyards usde for the Hartford label are between 93 and 145 years old.

Old vine Zinfandels are always a surprise. That may be because, as Soper explains, “many of the oldest Zinfandel vineyards included small amounts of ‘field grapes,’ like Petite Sirah or Alicante Bouchet, that were planted among the Zinfandel vines.” It adds a bit of a mix right from the picking.

The 2006 Russian River Valley Zinfandel smells like a bowl of fresh raspberries and goes down like velvet; it’s fruity yet robust. The 2007 Hartford Vineyard Zin is meaty and silky. Though not officially released yet, it’s already a standout. Finally, we taste the 2006 Dina’s Vineyard Zinfandel, which, like its siblings, has a velvety texture and deep, beautiful color. Dina’s also has a lovely, flowery finish.

As an added treat, we’re given a peek inside the winery proper. “When we have the chance, we love to give our guests an extra little tour,” says Soper. “Sometimes we’re just too crowded, but it’s just as fun for us to show off the winery as to show off the wines.”

The Harvest preparations are obvious as workers and forklifts bustle between aisles of French oak barrels, stacked on racks six-high, that tower over our heads, each patiently awaiting bottling (they’re not moved during aging). Soper shows us the sorting machine and other equipment, and, since harvest is imminent, we’re able to walk the catwalk and peek inside the huge, empty tanks. Peering down into their depths, I imagine them filled with wine…waiting for the next visitor.