Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Pinot Noir 2018

Professional Ratings

• 96 Wine Enthusiast

  From a majority of estate-grown grapes and percentage of grower fruit, this impressive wine is juicy, textured, layered and lengthy. With a cool-climate crispness at its foundation, it unfurls lovely flavors of dark plum, wild strawberry and orange peel, finishing in a touch of nutmeg

• 95 James Suckling

  Very pretty blackberries with plums, spice and hints of chili chocolate. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and focused with a bright, linear finish. Fine tannins. Sophisticated. Hints of spice, nuts and bark. Mushrooms, too. Dusty.

• 94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  Pale ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Freestone Vineyards has alluring aromas of dried lavender and bergamot, aniseed, blood orange and amaro-like accents with a core of perfectly ripe red and black berry fruits. The palate is light-bodied, silky, soft and juicy but packed with nuanced flavor layers, and it finishes incredibly long. What an elegant, layered expression this vintage! This was aged 13 months in 39% new French oak.
• 93 Jeb Dunnuck
  Moving to the Pinot Noirs, the 2018 Pinot Noir Freestone Vineyards saw just a touch of stems (16%) and 13 months in 39% new French oak. Lots of mulled red and black fruits, flowery incense, a kiss of cola, and earth all emerge from this medium-bodied, rounded, brilliantly put together Pinot Noir. As seamless and gulpable as they come, it has light tannins, outstanding length, and is going to evolve for 7-8 years or more.
• 92 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

  COMMENTARY: The 2018 Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Pinot Noir is a standout wine. TASTING NOTES: This captures the beauty of fresh, vibrant fruit in its aromas and flavors. Enjoy its brightness and slight chalky note with grilled, wild salmon fillets.

• 91 Connoisseurs' Guide

  Vitality, brightness and very keen fruity precision rather than heady ripeness have for long been the hallmarks of Phelps’s Freestone Pinots, and, if those virtues are once again on display in this outing, the 2018 edition ups the ante a touch in terms of juicy, optimally ripened fruit. It displays an extra bit of richness and range that, combined with its typically firm and lively balance, guarantee many years of positive growth ahead. Enjoy it while still young for its vigor and verve, but know that appreciably more complexity awaits.

• 90 Decanter

  Stylistically, this wine falls in the middle of the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir spectrum, which ranges from from ripe, dense black-fruited wines to leaner, more weightless offerings. Cherry cola aromas carry through the palate and lead to a drying floral and herb finish. Fruit comes from both the Pastorale and Quarter Moon Vineyards. It was fermented with 16% stem inclusion and aged for 13 months in 40% new French barriques.