La Rochelle Winery Launches Heritage Series: “Classic Clones” Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir

LIVERMORE, Calif. - La Rochelle Winery has announced the first in the winery’s “Heritage Series” of Pinot Noir that pays homage to the Mirassou family’s rich heritage in the wine business with the debut of its 2005 Classic Clones Pinot Noir from the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County, CA. La Rochelle Winery, owned in partnership by Steven Mirassou, Mike Ghielmetti of Signature Properties, and Phil Tagami of California Commercial Investments, is dedicated to the hand-crafting of small lot Pinot Noir from the finest vineyard sites in California and Oregon.

Steven Mirassou, the winery’s proprietor, oversees winemaking along with winemaker Tom Stutz, who has been crafting Pinot for over 20 years. Steven acquired the La Rochelle label from family members who decided not to continue in the business after the sale of the Mirassou naming rights to Gallo four years ago. Steven, who is also proprietor and winemaker at Steven Kent Winery, was determined to continue his family’s association with the La Rochelle brand. Said Mirassou, “As the sixth generation of the Mirassou family in America, I simply had to continue our long history of growing and making Pinot Noir from the Monterey vineyards we planted in 1961. At the same time, I wanted to pursue my dream of making the finest Pinot Noir possible, in very small lots, from the crème de la crème vineyard sites in the west that most truly express their unique terroir"

The first wine in the Heritage Series, the 2005 Classic Clones Arroyo Seco, is sourced from the Mission Ranch in Arroyo Seco and Garys’ Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. It represents both the best of California’s heritage clones of Pinot Noir and the Mirassou family’s history of making world-class wine from them. This blend of Pommard, Wadensville and Mariafeld clones from the Mission Ranch, and the Pisoni clone from Garys’ Vineyard, was aged for 10 months in French oak. Only 235 cases were produced: 100 are available to the finest restaurants and wine shops at $42/bottle.

Additional releases in the series are planned throughout the year, including the 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands in May and the 2005 Garys’ Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir in September.