by Andrew Chalk
Important announcement from one of the best pinot noir producers on the West Coast. And there is a Dallas connection: Adam Lee worked at the wine department of Neiman Marcus in Dallas in the 1980s and I and my wino buddies became friends. When he announced that he was moving to California to make wine we gave him a perfunctory "Good luck!" but perhaps, more reflectively, felt like we would find him in San Francisco a year later, waiting tables.
We were wrong. He became one of the best-known pinot noir makers in California with his Siduri wines, later branching into Syrah with Novy wines, named after his wife's family. He was acclaimed with high scores in competitions and in the press, with most of his pinot wines scoring in the sought after 90+ category. His business brain turned out to score as highly as his wines. He pursued a strategy of building a portfolio of pinot noir wines, distinguished by their terroir. There cannot be many winemakers in California who have made wine in more appellations.
A few years ago he sold Siduri to Jackson Family Wines but, I am pleased to say, did not go out shopping for rocking chairs. He stayed as active as ever. He tasted me on some of his Clarice wines this summer and they are impressive. From the press release below it sounds like Matt Revelette is well qualified to continue the Siduri name.
Full press release....
SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. (November 25, 2019) – Acclaimed Pinot Noir specialist, Siduri, built on the principle of serious wine and serious fun, announces new winemaker Matt Revelette. Hand-selected by founding winemaker Adam Lee for this highly coveted position, Revelette takes over as Siduri concludes its 25th harvest. Revelette assumes all winemaking responsibilities for the renowned winery as Lee transitions into a consultancy role with Jackson Family Wines, advising on many of the company’s innovative Pinot Noir programs across multiple portfolios.
“I’m grateful and excited for this opportunity to join Siduri, a winery that is respected by so many in the winemaking community. It’s been wonderful working with Adam on the wines that I’ve admired for most of my career. I look forward to continuing to build momentum for Siduri and honoring the foundations that were put in place 25 years ago,” said Matt Revelette, winemaker for Siduri.
Following an extensive search, Lee brought Revelette on board as part of Siduri’s winemaking team in May 2019. Revelette came to Siduri from Sojourn Cellars, where he spent three years managing all aspects of the winery, from grower relations to wine production. Prior to Sojourn, Revelette held winemaking roles with venerable Pinot Noir producers, such as Williams Selyem and Kosta Browne. He is just as passionate about Pinot Noir as Lee is, and the two will continue working extensively together in the vineyards and winery over the next year. “I can’t think of a better candidate to lead Siduri into the next chapter. Matt’s enthusiasm, experience, and personality are a perfect fit for the winery, making an otherwise tough choice relatively easy,” says Lee. Adding, “His work thus far has been extremely impressive, and he has a fundamental appreciation for Siduri’s signature style. I feel confident he will uphold Siduri’s vision during this seamless transition.”
Siduri, named for the Babylonian goddess of wine, was founded by Lee in 1994 and rose to critical acclaim for producing single-vineyard expressions of Pinot Noir. Beginning with a single-vineyard Pinot Noir sourced from Anderson Valley, Siduri’s portfolio grew over the years to include wines from premier cool-climate vineyard sites along the West Coast, including California’s Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, Sta. Rita Hills, and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. This 25th harvest marks a significant milestone in Siduri’s history and cements the winery’s legacy as a distinguished producer of Pinot Noir. To celebrate this accomplishment, the winery is incorporating a special icon on the label of its appellation tier wines. In addition, Lee and Revelette will co-host a series of in-market events for media and trade to celebrate the winery’s 25th anniversary, offering a chance for Siduri supporters and loyalists to welcome and embrace a new era.
In his consultancy role, Lee will advise on Pinot projects across the Jackson Family Wines portfolio and also focus on the production of his other winemaking projects, including Root & Rubble, a Pinot Noir fermented and aged entirely in concrete, and Clarice Wine Company.
Siduri will continue to focus on Pinot Noir across the West Coast, including California’s Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, Sta. Rita Hills, and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The wines for Siduri will remain the same stylistically, and they will continue to source from the same exclusive vineyard sites and winegrowing regions that helped make the winery one of the most sought after for its diverse offerings of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs.
To learn more about Siduri, please visit www.siduri.com. You can also follow Siduri on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @SiduriWines.
About Siduri
For 25 years, Siduri has specialized in producing cool-climate Pinot Noir from five major AVAs on the West Coast, spanning from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, down to Sta. Rita Hills in California’s Santa Barbara County. Their goal is to produce Pinot Noir that best captures the distinct flavor and character of a given vineyard site. To that end, they focus only on Pinot Noir, and source only from vineyards that provide exceptional fruit. Siduri’s philosophy is that wine should be a pleasure to drink, and that serious wine and serious fun aren’t mutually
exclusive. For more information, visit www.Siduri.com.