Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lots of ripe, darker herbs, scorched earth, and both red and black fruits emerge from the 2019 Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge, a medium to full-bodied Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that's certainly one of the biggest and richest in the lineup. Beautifully textured yet always balanced and elegant, with terrific tannins, it's ideal for enjoying over the coming 7-8 years, if not a decade.
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Wine Spectator
Deep and rich, this is filled with concentrated Christmas spice, dried fig and dark plum flavors that are juicy and well-structured. The plush, creamy finish offers notes of cocoa powder. Drink now through 2026.
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.