Winemaker Notes
The 2019 vintage was a stunner for the cooler edges of the Sonoma Coast. With unabashed heat weighing down on most of the county, out near the coast the marine layer staved off over-ripening and allowed some fantastic flavor development in the vineyards. Emmaline remains true to form, showing a more subtle and elegant side to the portfolio compared to the wealth of fruit Monticue displays. Nestled into the trees on Jonive Rd., Emmaline Ann showcases that classic freshness you come to expect from the western Sonoma Coast.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Pinot Noir Emmaline Ann Vineyard was made with 50% whole clusters and matured for 22 months in 40% new French oak. It is delicate and broody on the nose at this stage, with a core of raspberry fruit and accents of saline, seaweed, cracked pepper and violet. The light-bodied palate is delicate, grainy and fresh, with layer after layer of detailed fruits and a latent finish that hints at more to come as this matures in bottle.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Pinot Noir Emmaline Ann Vineyard is perfumed with rose petal, pomegranate, and pine, and the structure is fresh, with a spine of acidity, followed by notes of red cherry fruit, spice, and tea leaf on the 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.