Winemaker Notes
Please take note of the deep red color saturation and opulence. Blue and purple hues line the rim of the glass, and indicate the healthy nature of this wine. Powerful brambly fruit aromas, and dark, blue fruits build an intense core. Over time the darker fruits subside to more playful aromas of citrus oil, violets and pine needles. The palate wonderfully contrasts density with unrivaled purity and harmony. Suggested drinking window is 2020 until 2029.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Pinot Noir UV-SL is made from both the Vosne-Romanée and Calera clones of Pinot Noir. This is pure Sonoma Coast Pinot, with a sweet nose of root beer, blackcurrants, black cherries, and forest floor. It is the most densely colored of all four Pinot Noirs, and shows the biggest body, structure and richness. I also think it’s the most concentrated. This is an amazing wine and may have been the best 2014 Pinot Noir I tasted on this last trip. It should drink well for 10-15+ years.
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James Suckling
Great density and beauty with soy sauce and dark berry character. Full body, tightly wound and a long and flavorful finish. Extremely long and rich. A fantastic wine.
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.