Winemaker Notes
Pinot Noir is a classic choice for any occasion and goes with almost everything. Alluring aromas of wild plums and cloves mingle with flavors of vivid red cherries, spices, earthy notes and vanilla.
Pairs well with grilled salmon topped with mango salsa, Mediterranean platter complete with grilled eggplant, peppers, hummus, cucumbers, marinated artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, figs, feta cheese and pita bread
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Elegant in style, with notes of gently warmed strawberry puree, cherry preserves and red licorice infused with rose hip and sandalwood on the charming finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of baked cherry, dark cocoa, roasted coffee and violets waft from the glass on the nose of this Pinot Noir. The palate brings punchy red fruit, cinnamon and caramel flavors, which evolve into darker spiced flavors as the finish lingers.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a youthful red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast has a floral and spicy bouquet that slowly opens in the glass, with notes of pine, cranberries, pressed flowers, and baking spice. It’s a charming and fruity red with a medium-bodied frame and a clean finish.
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Tasting Panel
Sub-$30 Sonoma Coast Pinot is a difficult trick to pull off, but this sweetly spiced, plush red with abundant notes of brambly berries, red and black cherries, tilled earth, humidor; and cracked peppercorns proves it's possible to do—and with style.
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.