Winemaker Notes
The 2024 County Line Pinot Noir opens with fragrant notes of ripe raspberry, strawberry, and boysenberry, lifted by a touch of warm cedar and a hint of dried sage. The palate echoes the expressive aromatics, adding a splash of cherry cola and an earthy floral tinge of potpourri spice. This coastal Pinot is gracefully weighted, with fine, chalky tannins and a refreshing acidity that allows the zippy red fruit core to carry through the persistent finish.
For a fresh, flavorful pairing, serve this chillable, garnet-hued red alongside herb-crusted roast chicken or an earthy-sweet beet and goat cheese salad.
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.