Foursight Wines is a small vineyard and winery in the Anderson Valley AVA of Mendocino County. It’s family owned and operated by the Charles family, which has been living and working in that region for four generations. Their 11.2 acre, estate vineyard was planted in 2001 on well-drained soils southeast of Boonville. It includes Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Pinot Noir.

Anderson Valley is considered a cool growing region, with fog and cold ocean winds sweeping in from the mouth of the Navarro River then southeast through Philo, Boonville and beyond to the Yorkville Highlands. The Boonville area, being toward the southern end of the valley, is warmer than zones closer to the ocean. It occasionally reaches 100 degrees during the summer, but also experiences substantial nighttime cooling. Diurnal shifts of 50 degrees or more aren’t unusual.

Due to its generally cool climate, Anderson Valley predominantly grows Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and aromatic whites, such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling and Gewurtztraminer. However, the southern zone in which Charles Vineyard sits, gets enough sun and warmth to ripen Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

The following reviews are based on samples I received from Foursight Wines.

2015 Foursight Pinot Noir Clone 5 Charles Vineyard, Anderson Valley 91 14.4% 750ml $52

The 2015 Foursight Pinot Noir Clone 5 is a lovely wine with flavors and aromas of gently poached red cherries, tea and orange pith. The color is medium-intensity ruby with orange highlights and is crystal clear, despite being unfined and unfiltered. The medium-bodied palate is graceful and silky, wth very fine, well-integrated tannins. This is an excellent example of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and will please any Pinot lover not insistent on full-body and power.

The wine is very nice on its own, but will work well light meat dishes and mild cheeses. Try it with stuffed quail and wild rice.

The whole-berry, Pommard grapes, 80% destemmed, were fermented with ambient yeasts. The wine aged in 60% new French oak. 

2015 Foursight Semillon Charles Vineyard, Anderson Valley 88 12.8% 750ml $25

Cheerful aromas of pear and ripe apples are accented by hints of peach, vanilla, baking spice and almond. There’s more tartness to the fruit—lemon, green apple and pear—on the smooth, medium-bodied palate. The finish is gently mouthwatering. The 2015 Foursight Semillon is a tasty, well-balanced, easy-drinking wine that will go well with a wide-variety of mildly flavored fare, such as light, white fish, crab, and risotto of spring vegetables.

There are only 571 productive acres of Semillon in all of California, making it the 34th most-planted variety, and just 2.7 in Anderson Valley. The Charles Vineyard has 0.3 acres of that.

The wine fermented with ambient yeasts in barrels: 20% stainless, 20% new French oak, and 60% used French oak. Sulfur was the only addition and the wine was neither fined nor filtered. This was the first wine in Anderson Valley to include an ingredients list on the label. It was also the first wine in the United States to say “suitable for vegetarians and vegans” on the label. (No animal-derived products were used in its production.)

2016 Foursight Sauvignon Blanc Charles Vineyards, Anderson Valley 87 12.8% 750ml $25

This is a quaffable Sauvignon Blanc, without the pungency or intense green notes the variety so often has. Aromas and flavors include sweet lemon-lime, apple and tropical fruit. It can be a very refreshing wine for summer, as I found that, even when ice cold, the flavors hold up and the palate retains pleasant, slippery viscosity. Pair it with a good book by the pool.

Text copyright Fred Swan 2018. Photos courtesy of Foursight Wines. Bottle shot by Courney DeGraff. All rights reserved.