Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Spicy baked cherry pie, plum and wild berry aromas turn elegant and refined. Full-bodied, but not weighty, allowing the rich flavors to dance on the palate. Ends with a long, lingering finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard (equal parts Calera and the suitcase Vosne-Romanee clones) smells of damp earth, freshly cut flowers, black raspberries, sweet cherries, and subtle hints of roasted meats and smoke. Deep, rich, full-bodied, concentrated, and moderately tannic, it is more structured than the Reuling Vineyard. It should drink well for 10-12 years.
Rating: 95+
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.