Chateau Leidigh is the accumulation of Bob and Barbera Leidigh’s 55 years of combined home winemaking experience. Their goal is to make wines as naturally as possible at a fair price, for as Bob says, “We aren’t trying to get rich at winemaking. Heck, we couldn’t at these low quantities and low prices.” All of Chateau Leidigh’s vineyards are within 100 yards of the winery, so once picked, the fruit does not travel far and is gently destemmed and crushed within hours of picking. Everything about this 250 case-production winery is hand-made. Hand picked, pressed, bottled, corked, labeled. The winery is solar powered and uses little mechanical influence in the production process. The resulting wines (each bottle of which is individually numbered) are representative of the meticulous care applied to each part of the process. Click here to view Chateau Leidigh’s “Straight from the Source” video, a brief tour of the winery and vineyard.

2006 Estate Pinot Noir, Sierra Foothills - If you are not a huge fan of big, bold blends with rich, dark fruit flavors, this might be the wine for you. The wine is a light red in color, and the nose has promising aromas of Bing cherries, pomegranate, and cranberries. The palate is very refreshing with notes of sour cherries and a little of that vegetal component which French Pinot lovers might enjoy. With a coppery finish and a hint of oak, this is a great Pinot to be served with food or sipped as an aperitif. If you are not a Pinot Noir fan, then my guess is that you just haven’t found one that fits you, and I would suggest starting with this one. At only $25 per bottle, you would be hard pressed to find a Pinot this good for a better price. Since the total production of this wine is a mere 30 cases, it would undoubtedly make a unique contribution to the dinner table.

2006 Estate Petite Sirah, Sierra Foothills - As with most Petite Sirahs, don’t let the name fool you - there is little that is petite about this varietal. The color is quite dark and the nose full of blueberry/mild blackberry flavors, cedar, and a bit of cardamom. The mouthfeel has a good combination of sweet & sour fruit, and a good level of astringency. The mid-palate is gripping, though not too rich, and the long finish solidifies the complexity of this wine. A pleasant surprise for me - the color of the wine suggested it would be heavier, but complexity of sour fruit flavors combined with good levels of tannins and oak made this a very enjoyable wine. The case production for this beauty is even less than that of the Pinot, a mere 22 cases!