Winemaker Notes
The Folie à Deux 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir opens with enticing aromas of cherry cola, strawberry jam, raspberry and redwood. Rich and fleshy, this wine has supple flavors of spicy tobacco, dark cocoa, black licorice and toasty vanilla oak. A bright, juicy palate and precise balance of rounded, smooth tannins and acid adds lift on the finish with red fruits and potpourri notes. Opens with enticing aromas of cherry cola, strawberry jam, raspberry and redwood. Rich and fleshy, with toasty vanilla oak and a bright, juicy palate.
This Pinot Noir is a perfect match for wild mushroom bruschetta.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
An excellent intensity and freshness of crunchy red apple, raspberry, sour cherry, strawberry and just a hint of smoke. Soft and persistent with lovely length.
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Tasting Panel
Spring rose petals bloom from the glass as the nose lifts up raspberry-cedar. With striking acidity and a fleshy mouthfeel, the wine itself is representative of the cool, coastal terroir and was aged for nine months in primarily French oak (33% new). Licorice paints delicate red-tea tannins with a sturdy flavor as toffee enhances toasty oak on the finish.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.