Given the meteoric thrust of the natural wine 'scene' there are all manner of ideologies being thrown about that tend to paint American naturalists in a reactionary hue.  Clos Saron is emblematic of an older, more contemplative approach that finds itself in the natural camp because, well, that's the best way to express a sense of place!  Israeli ex-pat Gideon Beinstock is a consummate terroir-ist whose discomfort with the definition of 'winemaker' stems not from radical minimalism for its own sake but from the simple fact that he spends nearly all his time farming and very little in the cellar.  

 

Even setting aside the historicity of the project, Clos Saron is remarkable.  The winery has never stopped evolving, continuing to explore ideas of ripeness, cofermentation and sulfite application in thoughtful ways despite decades of successful production.  The wines are monolithic embodiments of North Yuba's scorching, iron-laden granitic terroir.  They have potency in the manner of the southern French masters - presence and assertiveness couched in the language heat and earth.