Anthill Farms Harmony Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
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Robert
Parker
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The ridge in between Graton and Occidental is known by several names—Occidental Ridge; Stoetz Ridge; and, perhaps most commonly, Harrison Grade, after its principal roadway. Harmony Lane occupies a three-acre site of fine Goldridge soil just below this ridgeline at about 800 feet. This elevation puts the vineyard right at the edge of the marine layer: the fog laps the vineyard like a shoreline, creating a dynamic warm-and-cool environment that creates wines of elegant bearing and tight precision.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Harmony Lane Vineyard is lush and inviting on the nose: aromas of rhubarb, boysenberry, crushed blackberries are accented by licorice and loads of potpourri-like nuances. The palate is wonderfully concentrated, vibrant and silky in texture with a kaleidoscopic array of tricolored berry fruits, citrus and flowers, and it finishes very long and nuanced. Such a gorgeous, elegant wine!
Other Vintages
2021-
Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
Anthill Farms is an exciting project that focuses on producing exceptional Pinot Noir from a broad range of North Coast vineyards. The properties are managed with intensive and meticulous farming practices, with minimal ecological impact. As for winemaking, there are two unchanging goals: to make wines that express the growing site and the characteristics of the vintage above all else, and to make wines that, simply put, taste good. These goals require gentle handling from crushing to bottling, judicious use of oak, and, perhaps most importantly, leaving the wine alone as much as possible. “We didn’t know whether the name was really great or really dumb,” admits Anthill Farms Winery partner Webster Marquez. “It came about because we’re all winemakers and people would see us all scrambling around trying to grab the same hose at once; they said it was like watching a bunch of ants.” This trio of ants—Marquez, Anthony Filiberti and David Low—met while working at Sonoma’s Williams Selyem. Says Marquez, “We realized that we have the same approach: using Pinot Noir—the most ‘transparent’ grape in the world—to communicate the way vineyards from cooler areas create distinctive wines.” The partners themselves farm many of the small plots where they buy their grapes, and the results of this labor of love are remarkably seductive wines that combine concentration and finesse. Now that the company has grown from producing 200 cases in 2004 to 1,800 this year, the trio’s work is becoming ever more demanding. Notes Marquez, “It’s a good thing we’re young and don’t need much sleep.” –Food & Wine Magazine’s “Most Promising New Winery” 2009
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.