We hopped in the back of a baby blue Land Rover Defender and set off on a crisp and clear November afternoon. There were no doors, no windows, no walls; just a thin canvas roof separating us from the cold wind and bright sky. We sat anxiously, gleaming with anticipation and delight, as the truck slowly traversed hairpin after narrow hairpin through dense canopy and tattered pavement on our way up the steep and winding single-lane road. They say it's the journey that matters more than the destination, but in this instance, it wasn't about the climb. As the road crested and the mountain finally relented to a series of gentle rolling slopes we stared in humble awe at what lay in front of us.
We had arrived at our destination: the Pelkan Ranch Vineyard. Sitting 1000 feet above sea level on a northern summit of the Mayacamas Mountains, Pelkan Ranch is a quaint outpost surviving in the midst of perilous and rugged terrain. We gathered ourselves and stepped out of the vehicle, all the while enamored by endless rows of golden leaves clinging desperately for life to the retreating vines. Burn scars littered the landscape around the vineyards, as this site was badly torched by the previous year's wildfires, but somehow the vines prevailed nearly unscathed. It is with the help of hand-selected fruit from this idyllic mountain vineyard that Chiron Wines has created provocative terroir-driven Cabernet Sauvignon, and we were standing in the very spot where the magic happens.
Chiron Wines began as the brainchild of the father-son team of Mark McCoy and Bobby Moy. Although the family did not have a history in wine production Bobby was raised in Napa Valley and grew up surrounded by vineyards. He would start his career as a sommelier, but eventually transitioned to production after graduating with a degree in Enology from Oregon State University. In 2015 Bobby succeeding in convincing Mark that the two should band together to start making their own wine and Chiron Wines was founded as the result.
We had noticed the unique selection of wines Chiron was making and connected with Mark and Bobby in hopes of meeting them on our recent trip up to Napa Valley. We scheduled a visit and gathered at Bobby's house in Calistoga to tour one of his favorite nearby vineyard sites - Pelkan Ranch. After an enjoyable journey up to the property in the back of Bobby's Land Rover we settled in and wandered around the Pelkan Ranch Vineyard to take in the beauty of the site. Our focus was primarily on the specific block that Chiron sources from. This steep 20% grade slope is planted completely to Cabernet Sauvignon, and its soil is rife with large pieces of iron-rich volcanic rock. Thanks to its high elevation this ideal microclimate experiences cooler days than the rest of the valley, which lends itself to intense depth and tension in the finished wines it produces. After roaming around and playing with our fair share of dirt and rocks we drove over to another part of the property to sit down for a tasting.
Our tasting took place outside a charming wooden cabin with views overlooking the heart of Knight's Valley, where Pelkan Ranch is located. From this vantage point many of the most prestigious vineyards in the appellation were visible as they glowed with red, yellow, and orange autumn hues amidst the evergreens. Knight's Valley is technically part of Sonoma County, but it directly borders Napa Valley and possesses a nearly identical geographical makeup to the more prestigious appellations located immediately to its south. Because of the lack of a Napa address wines from Knight's Valley can often be had for significantly less than similar Napa offerings, but the quality of the fruit grown here remains extremely impressive.
We began our tasting with a fun and lighthearted Rosé and moved through a Pinot Noir, a Grenache, and three different Cabernet Sauvignons. While the Chiron team does not own any estate vineyards they source from a number of quality growing sites across the state of California. The fruit for the Rosé came from San Luis Obispo County, the Pinot came from Santa Rita Hills, and the Grenache came from Napa Valley. Two of the Cabs also began as Napa grapes, while the last was sourced from the very Knight's Valley vineyard we were currently standing in. All of the wines we were poured were from Chiron's very first vintage, and every single one was showing spectacularly. The Grenache and the Pinot Noir were both wonderful, and each Cabernet Sauvignon succeeding in expressing the distinctness of the region and vineyard from which it was sourced. Our favorite wine of the flight was the Pelkan Ranch Cab - perhaps because of the romanticism of tasting it at its source - or perhaps because it was just downright excellent.
Stylistically we would describe Chiron's wines as balanced, complex, and terroir expressive. It is clear that Bobby has a distinct end result in mind with each wine he makes, and the clarity with which he executes his vision is remarkable. Everything we tried was unique and characterful while never coming across as forced or contrived. Structure and focus gracefully absorbed the spotlight, and we sensed a sort of effortless elegance which presented itself in a way that only the most authentic and gifted producers can accomplish. We were genuinely and thoroughly impressed with every wine we were offered.
While Chiron might be a young operation we're glad we had the chance to unearth the hidden gem these guys have created. Their wines alone were enough to impress us, but Mark and Bobby went above and beyond giving us the royal treatment on our exciting adventure together to the top of the mountain. It was an absolutely amazing experience that we will not soon forget. It is also worth noting that tastings at Chiron are completely free, so make sure to schedule an appointment next time you're in Napa Valley to try these wonderful wines. If you're lucky you may even get to hitch a ride up to Pelkan Ranch in the back of Bobby's sweet ride just like we did.