Winemaker Notes
Consisting of 62% Estate fruit and 38% Riddle Vineyard, the 2023 feels more representative of the coast as whole. It has all the dark, brooding savoriness of Annapolis complemented by the red/orange lifted feel of Occidental. These two sub-AVAs of the Sonoma Coast don't have much in common but that's why they present such a complete wine when blended. Crunchy red fruits turn to black raspberries as the wine brings up a salty, mineral quality lifted by floral notes and wet gravel. It manages to stay light and fresh while presenting as a weighty style of Pinot. The broad shouldered quality of the Annapolis wines can often be confused with a riper style or overextraction, but Aston is coming to find out that's just what the area offers. There are hints of that in this wine, but the Riddle Vineyard pulls it back offering a slightly lighter shade of red than the Estate bottling lifting the aromatics into pennyroyal mint, sage and forest floor. The goal is to always have this wine overdeliver quality relative to price and this wine is an overachiever in that arena.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is a deeper red color and is both layered and muscular, evoking the windswept, exposed place from which these wines are created, with notes of cranberry cocktail, black raspberries, and savory saltiness. It has broad shoulders, with ripe tannins and a floating feel, finishing with floral notes. It has depth and complexity, and it’s warming, with dark minerals and a savory feel on the finish. Drink 2025-2040.
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Wine Spectator
Distinctive, slightly high-pitched aromas and flavors of loganberry and cherry compote lead the way, along with apple wood, iris and sassafras elements that help fuel the juicy, almost gutsy finish. Sleek acidity harnesses it all, though; there’s just some brief cellaring needed to let this unwind. Best from 2026 through 2033.
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.