Fort Ross Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2011
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Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Enthusiast
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Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
If you were to blindfold me and pass a glass of the 2011 Fort Ross Pinot Noir, Fort Ross Vineyard beneath my nose, I say this is 100% Pinot Noir from a cool site; this wine is exceptionally pure and pristine. Light to medium garnet color; alluring and tantalizing tart strawberry aroma, delicate and refined; medium bodied, zippy on the palate; dry, fine acidity, well balanced; bright red fruit flavors, wild strawberries come to mind; long finish, delicate yet persistent aftertaste. (Tasted: August 24, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Red raspberry is at the core of this crisp, fresh and medium-bodied estate wine, savory in cranberry and tea. Seamless and silky, it finishes tart, a complex example of a cool site and cool vintage crafted by an experienced winemaker, Jeff Pisoni.
Other Vintages
2010-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Connoisseurs'
Guide -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator
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James
Suckling -
Connoisseurs'
Guide
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Connoisseurs'
Guide
Nestled on a sunny coastal ridge, overlooking the Pacific Ocean a mile below, Fort Ross'"True Sonoma Coast" vineyard is one of the closest, if not the closest, to the ocean in all of California. From the vineyard you can see the breaking surf and the misty silhouettes of Bodega Head and Pt. Reyes far below. The vineyard's high elevation above the coastal fog and its proximity to the ocean provide a gentle, sunny and temperate climate that has proved to be very favorable for the slow and even ripening of Burgundian varietals.
The Sonoma Coast AVA is large in area but, not counting overlapping regions like Russian River Valley, only has a few thousand acres of grapevines—and it’s no wonder. Much of the region is rugged and not easily accessible. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean’s fog and cool breezes limits the varieties that can be cultivated, but it proves to be an ideal environment for high quality Pinot Noir.
Since fog is a frequent fact of life here, as are heavy marine layers that sometimes bring rain, the best vineyards are wisely planted above the fog line, on picturesque ridges that capture enough sun to provide even ripening. That, with the overnight drop in temperature that reliably preserves acidity, results in fine expressions of Pinot Noir that often receive tremendous critic and consumer praise alike, and are often in high demand.