Winemaker Notes
The nose presents a blend of blackberries, black cherries and rose water. Akiko's has the highest acidity level of all of Freeman's 2021 Pinots, yet it is balanced on the palate by firm tannins, abundant fruitiness and French oak nuances. The finish goes on for several minutes with the acidity, fruit and oak playing off of each other.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fresh and lively wine with nutmeg and dried orange to the sliced strawberry aromas and flavors. Sophisticated and complex with a reserve and focus. Medium body, very fine and subtle. Shy. It opens all the time and changes character between earth and fruit. Take your time on this.
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Wine Spectator
Shows lovely purity and precision, offering a beam of mulberry and boysenberry coulis. Rooibos tea and chaparral hints underscore the lengthy, pinpoint finish. Drink now through 2031. 350 cases made.
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.