Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
I wasn’t sure “infusive” was an actual word when I wrote it down after tasting this astonishing pinot noir made by Ross Cobb. In fact, it is a word: “Having the power or quality of infusion,” according to my musty old two-volume Webster’s. This comes from a foggy, shady site planted on sandy Goldridge soil, not far from Sebastopol—and the wine does seem to infuse the senses with an aromatic fog that you can almost walk around in, noting a spray of juniper, a lattice full of roses, the cool moisture of the soil. There’s a tightness to the structure that will reward aging, but the impression is one of inner strength rather than weight.
-
Wine Enthusiast
From a three-acre spot known to get a hearty dose of fog, this wine speaks to cool-climate character, unveiling crisp floral layers of dried sage and white pepper from the get-go. Those aspects are joined by rose, lavender and cranberry-rhubarb on the palate, finishing with subtle offerings of mushroom and forest floor.
-
Decanter
After tasting several older Emmaline Ann Pinots, I love the subtle reduction that tends to be found early on, and which will bring a lovely dimension down the road for those with patience. This 2014 has a very fragrant and racy nose of lavender and underbrush, and there's an intriguing mixture of savoury and saline elements here- my immediate thought was 'a cucumber becoming a pickle'. 310 cases produced. 22 months in French oak barrels, 30% new.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Showing a vast range of nuances, the excellent 2014 Cobb Emmaline Ann Vineyard Pinot Noir stays bright and brilliant in its aromas and flavors. The wine's clarity of its fruit essence is nicely accented with a touch of dried earth and wood. Its bright finish pairs it nicely with lightly grilled salmon. (Tasted: August 7, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale ruby, the 2014 Pinot Noir Emmaline Ann Vineyard is scented of underbrush, mushrooms and wet bark with a background of dried red fruits and touches of graphite. The light-bodied palate offers a darker, more savory profile, firm tannins and good freshness with a long, nuanced 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.