Winemaker Notes
The nose reveals aromas of blueberry, raspberry, and black tea, while the palate offers cranberry and plum fruit complemented by subtle notes of forest floor and exotic spices. Integrated tannins and balanced acidity carry through to a long, refined finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A more widely distributed wine starting with this vintage, the 2022 Pinot Noir has plenty of finesse and delicacy given the mountain fruit that goes into it, including some from the producer's Sable Mountain Vineyard, which adds intensity to the luxurious red fruit and baking spice that accent the well-integrated oak, refined tannins, and moderate length of this medium-bodied effort. Age through 2032.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is bright, with aromas of black strawberry, boysenberry, citrus, mulled spices and toasted vanilla on the nose. The flavors on the palate are dark cherry, sweet maple, blood orange, crushed dried herbs and grapefruit rind. It finishes with dry, juicy tannins. Pair with mushroom risotto.
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James Suckling
Balanced and approachable with sweet aromas of red fruit and baking spices. The full body is round and complete with juicy acidity and integrated tannins.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and sleek, with gently crushed boysenberry fruit laced with a hibiscus note that then streams through the silky finish. Drink now through 2030. 5,051 cases made.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.