Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Fresh raspberries, lemon rind, orange zest, rhubarb, red cherries and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied with bright acidity, firm tannins and a fresh, medium-chewy finish. Real Sonoma pinot.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Pinot Noir has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and inviting scents of pomegranate liqueur, crushed cranberries and Bing cherries with nuances of orange peel, potpourri and autumn leaves. Light to medium-bodied, it offers loads of bright, spicy fruits, with a gently grainy frame and seamless freshness, finishing long and bright. 12,632 cases produced.
-
Wine Spectator
Crisp and well-structured, with a sinewy texture to the ripe cherry and dried berry flavors. The inky finish offers hints of pepper and mocha.
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.