Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard Old Firs Block comes from vines planted in 1989. Various clones are planted on AXR1 rootstock, including Wadenswil, Pommard and Martini. Despite the rootstock, Ross Cobb notes that the vines are unaffected by phylloxera. “We are very isolated out here, and those old clones are doing fine.” The vines produced a singular rendition in 2018, with alluring scents of pipe tobacco, dried orange peel and dusty earth and a core of pretty raspberry and blueberry fruit. The palate is bright and saline-focused at this early stage, expertly structured with shimmering acidity, silty tannins and an ethereal, spice-laced finish. It’s shy but hints at more to come, so give it 2-3 years in bottle.
Rating: 95(+) -
Decanter
This site typically shows off power and persistence with a deft touch, and the excellent, drama-free 2018 vintage follows suit. Aromas of rose petals, hibiscus and bay laurel are followed by a palate that's simultaneously dense, compacted and vibrant, with an energetic and ever-evolving finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a completely dry-farmed, no-till, and 100% sustainable vineyard site, the 2018 Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard Old Firs Block is the spiciest and most intense of the wines in this lineup in its aromas of dried red plum, forest herbs, and pine. The palate is flush with kirsch and wooded earth, and it is more structured with dried cranberry, beet root, tea.
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Wine Spectator
This intense red is filled with exotic spice accents to the dried raspberry and cherry paste flavors that show notes of blood orange. Crackling acidity backs the minerally finish, with plenty of savory accents. Drink now through 2025.
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.