Winemaker Notes
Emerging from four straight years of drought, 2016 was the “almost-back- to-normal” vintage for coastal California. Rainfall was just below average, and the weather ?nally returned to the ideal pattern we’d been missing since 2012: foggy mornings followed by cool, sunny afternoons. Beautiful spring weather helped Yu-ki set its ?rst signi?cant crop since the vineyard was planted, and we were delighted to be able to choose our favorite Yu-ki barrels to create this wine.
The 2016 Yu-ki Estate Pinot Noir (our third-ever vintage of this wine) shows the promise of a great, young vineyard coming into its own. The nose o?ers deep, berry aromas with a hint of the intriguing Sonoma Coast spice so often found in the Pinot vineyards around Occidental. Framed by well-balanced natural acidity, the palate is lush and fruity, with soft tannins. Some interesting savory notes also come into play as the Yu-ki opens up in the glass. This wine should be at its best from late 2018 through 2024.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
From an elevated (1000 ft.) coastal site, this is a super fine, fragrant and finely detailed pinot that has plenty of red cherries and strawberries with wild herbs and fresh, red-rose perfume. Really striking. The palate has ultra-fine, layered and elegant tannins that deliver a superbly focused, fine, red-fruit impression with clarity, length and freshness. This is great pinot noir. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
A powerful, layered fruit character gives this medium- to full-bodied wine great focus, depth and length. Its core of black berry, currant and cherry is lightly accented by black tea and clove for an almost mysterious mix that is compelling to sip. A brisk texture of fine-grained tannins and nervy acidity completes this superbly balanced and well structured wine. Best from 2023.
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.