Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This shows the coolness of the vintage, bringing purity and finesse with a lovely floral lift and high-toned red fruit. The palate is fine-boned and precise, with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, finishing with a savory undertone balanced by sweet spices and fruit. Nicely done. Drink or hold.
-
Wine Enthusiast
The North Coast always brings out the best by inviting all palates to the party. This selection doesn't disappoint, with powerful red berries, blackberry cored fruit, subtle cinnamon brown sugar spice, and white chocolate shaving on the nose. Upon sight, the wine is clear—you can see the face of your watch through the glass—yet the flavors are a walloping party in the mouth, inviting more sips and a supple mouth-watering dry finish.
Best Buy
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.