Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard is dazzling. It reveals all of the qualities that make Pinot here so compelling. In the 2009 I find expressive aromatics that meld seamlessly into the fruit, not to mention a gracious yet powerful personality. A super-refined finish has the last say in this moving, breathtaking wine. The UV-SL vineyard is just four miles from the Pacific Ocean. There is an energy and vitality in the wine I find totally irresistible. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020.
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Wine Spectator
Weaves together a complex array of loamy earth and crushed rock, with trim, focused wild berry and floral scents, ending with a long, detailed finish. Drink now through 2020.
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.