Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast pours a bright ruby red color and is lifted and bright on the nose with aromas of blood orange zest, cranberries, cinnamon, and brambly herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, with a floating feel, even tannins, and a gently tapering finish. It’s a savory and elegant wine to drink over the coming 6-7 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of cranberry, raspberry and pine forest dominate the nose of this Pinot. The palate brings richly structured tannin and flavors of plum, orange peel, anise and black tea with a rich, opulent mouthfeel. This is great Pinot for burgers or ribs on the grill.
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Wine Spectator
Punchy and fresh, with delicious morello cherry and raspberry notes followed by hibiscus and rose petal details that give this lift on the finish.
Imagine a winemaking region just hours north of San Francisco rich in diversity and distinctive terroir, a well-kept secret tucked amongst the towering redwoods and influenced by the Pacific Ocean. Over half a century ago, pioneering growers recognized the Russian River Valley as a place that just might produce Pinot Noir that rivaled the villages of Burgundy. After decades of winemaking and selective planting, their valley has become internationally known for producing Pinot that is distinctly American and reflects the natural influences of their terroir.
Gary Farrell Winemaker, Theresa Heredia, grape growers and other winemakers within the Russian River Valley have always recognized that certain regions of the valley produced distinctly different wines. Since the 2014 Vintage, they have been monitoring whether characteristics like aroma, texture and others can be attributed to specific sections of the Valley. This deep dive into Russian River Pinot Noir has become the Neighborhoods Initiative that is also a hallmark of their Single Vineyard winemaking, and their elevated Salon experiences.
The concept of a neighborhood is truly an American idea, and is more concerned with defining the characteristics a specific cluster of vineyards produce than defining the geographical boundaries. It’s both a sense of community and terroir at the same time
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.