FEL focuses on Anderson Valley, which is packed with contrast - like Florence's wines apparently, despite its small size. The Anderson Valley is just slightly longer than the island of Manhattan! For every mile that one moves toward the Pacific coast from Boonville at the valley's eastern edge, there is the loss of one degree Fahrenheit from the average daytime temperature. There is a five week spread between picking in Boonville and Navarro, at the valley's western point! As winemaker Ryan Hodgins - who grew up outside the Willamette Valley but transplanted to California in 2002 - said, the Anderson Valley is nature's tipping point between "the feel" of the rest of California to the south and Oregon to the north.
Read MoreIn my experience, the FEL wines are made to emphasize freshness and varietal expression. The 2018 Chardonnay continues this theme. Blended from picking dates ranging just over a month from several vineyards planted with a wide variety of Heritage clones and Dijon selections, the wine is whole cluster pressed, fermented in neutral French oak barrels, limited in malolactic fermentation and aged on lies with no stirring for ten months.
Read MoreFEL 2017 Chardonnay Savoy Vineyard Anderson Valley: Scrumptious and demonstrative, this texturally fueled, gastro tasting experience is as dynamic as ever.
Read MoreFEL 2018 Pinot Gris Anderson Valley: This is robust and vigorous with crunchy and broad tannins, a bit unusual for Pinot Noir. Black plums and açai make for an interesting palate combo, accented by a dusting of cinnamon. Full-bodied with slightly chunky glycerol and well-integrated acidity, this drinks nicely now.
Read MoreAs an admirer of FEL for many years, I was curious to see what these different vineyards had to say. I must say that I was impressed by the differences in their voices! The two Pinot Noirs offer a surprising contrast of weight, texture and fruit aromas given how small Anderson Valley is – it’s barely longer than the island of Manhattan – and how relatively closely these vineyards sit!
Read MoreFEL 2016 Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard Anderson Valley: This is a Pinot Noir powerhouse. Even on Day Three, it was powering on as though it had just been opened.
Read MoreOne of the most impressive attributes of the FEL wines is their consistency at a high quality level. The Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay are especially notable. I always appreciate the FEL wines’ terrific balance and clearly defined varietal character. Year over year, I am entirely confident of what I will get in a bottle of wine from FEL. So, I was excited to taste the Pinot Gris for the first time.
Read MoreI've been tasting these wines in consecutive vintages for about four years now, and I love every vintage. This is superior juice offered at reasonable prices. Don't miss out!
Read MoreFEL Wines is the newborn of the Cliff Lede duo of wine estates. Lede began his wine adventures in Napa in 2002, making Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. I distinctly remembering visiting in 2006 and tasting those first wines. They were good, so it isn’t too surprising the company’s expansion into the Anderson Valley is making good juice.
Read MoreHas Sean Thackrey done a 180°? This was my impression when I tasted the 2010 vintage of Pinot Noir Clone 114 from his new Cassiopeia project in the Wentzel Vineyard.
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