Winemaker Notes
Savory aromas of raspberry, white pepper and forest floor intrigue the nose and lead to hedonistic flavors of juicy plum and mixed berries on the palate. The savory finish is laden with umami, spice and a supremely velvety texture.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
From a chilly site above Freestone, this red is deliciously robust in white pepper and cardamom, with traces of black tea throughout. Substantial opulence and weight belie its underlying elegance and complexity, textured like a velvety plum.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2018 Pinot Noir Tilton Hill emerges slowly, its iron and graphite scents segueing to tea leaves, woodsmoke, dried herbs and red and black berry fruit. Medium-bodied, the palate is grainy, fresh and intense, with earth-laced fruits and a long, bitters-laced finish.
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Wine Spectator
Plush and creamy, with notes of underbrush to the vibrant cherry and berry flavors, followed by accents of white pepper and slate on the crunchy finish.
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.