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Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Top 100: 2011, Rank: 50
A beautifully balanced, well-made Pinot Noir from the sons of the late Bobby Fetzer of the famed Mendocino Fetzer family, who started Masút originally to farm organic Pinot grapes with his sons. Ben and Jake do honor to their family heritage here with a clean, bright bottle of high-toned cranberry and tart cherry accompanied by a richness of texture and just a touch of oak.
-V.B.

The Pinot Report  92 Points
Medium-deep ruby color; deep, intense cherry and berry aromas with lots of complex herbal notes; deep, rich, complex cherry flavors with earthy notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Big, complex Pinot with a lot to offer. Layers of flavor, but it really needs at least an hour in the glass to open up.
-G.W.

Steven Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91 Points
Bright ruby-red.  Highly perfumed, spice-accented aromas of raspberry and cherry compote, with smoky oak spice and incense notes adding complexity.  Juicy but seamless red and dark berry flavors show impressive depth and energy, and a late note of candied licorice.  Finishes silky, sweet and very long, with lingering spice and floral notes.
-J.R.

Tasting Notes
Velvety soft texture, with black cherry, and wild berry jam on the palate, compliments toasty French oak richness and hints of cocoa on the finish. Fine tannins and vibrant acidity give it an elegant structure.

Estate Vineyard
Bobby Fetzer, one of Mendocino County’s most experienced grape growers, bought the Masút Ranch in 1996.  Intrigued with a hillside site of fast draining soil, desirable sun exposure and marine influenced winds, he chose Pinot Noir for this special location.  He and sons Ben and Jake planted a 23-acre vineyard here in 1997.  Having identified 13 separate blocks, each with its unique slope and contour, they selected appropriate clones:  113, 115 and 777.

 
The undulating vineyard is located along a gap in the coastal mountains.  Cool, moist air flows from the Pacific Ocean during summer nights, lowering the temperature of the vines.  Because elevation, terrain, soil and climate are unique to this area, Ben, Jake and local grape growers have petitioned the TTB to create a new AVA:  Eagle Peak (named after the most prominent peak in this mountainous region).
 
The vineyard lends itself to small block farming and the production of highest quality fruit.  Each of the blocks has particular needs during the growing season, and each ripens at a different time.  “We do everything by hand:  pruning, thinning, canopy management and harvesting,” says Vineyard Manager Jake Fetzer.  Farming practices are organic. 
 
Hand harvest occurs at night.  “It is better for the picking crews and the grapes,” says Jake.  The cool grapes travel a mere mile to the estate winery.  Their low temperature inhibits spontaneous fermentation and moderates the amount of energy used to chill the grapes before cold soaking.  Hand work and attention to detail continue in the winery to produce expressive, estate Pinot Noir.

The Winery
Located on a hilltop, with breathtaking views of mountains and rolling vineyards, the Masút winery resides in one of the barns Bobby Fetzer constructed from old, recycled redwood.  His sons, Winemakers Ben and Jake, converted the rustic barn to a winery equipped for small batch production of estate Pinot Noir.  Jake says, “I know if our dad were here today, he’d probably burst through the door with a big grin, looking around with excitement and tracking in mud on his dirty boots.  It feels like he’s a part of this winery.”
 
The winery’s old redwood timbers are icons of Mendocino County’s past.  The winery’s state-of-the-art processing equipment is a sign of the future and the brothers’ determination to make exceptional wine with minimal intervention.  Essential equipment includes a sorting table, delicate whole berry destemmer, small lot stainless steel tanks and a stainless basket press for applying gentle pressure. 
 
At harvest the winemakers hand sort the grapes; destemmed fruit goes into small, open top fermenters.  Ben and Jake use hand punch downs during fermentation and press off to French oak barrels (50% new).  Primary fermentations, many involving native yeast, and malo-lactic fermentation finish in barrel where the wine ages sur lie for 10-14 months.  The winemakers rack the wine once, just before bottling.
 
The winery is self-contained, complete with bottling line.  “Our winery is so high and remote that the mobile bottlers couldn’t serve us,” says Jake.  “To have and maintain our own equipment is best.”
 
Diverse clones and vineyard blocks deliver aromas, flavors and textures complemented by Jake and Ben’s gentle, handcrafted winemaking.  Their Masút estate Pinot Noir expresses earthy notes, layers of bright cherry, red fruit and dark fruit, framed with a velvety texture.