Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Chris Pittenger, the winemaker at Skinner in the Sierra Foothills, started this winery with his wife, Sarah, in 2009. He sources this pinot from three vineyards, including the Campbell Ranch, Baranoff and one he has agreed not to name. An extended cold soak and spontaneous ferment have left it with some youthful reduction, so if you open it now, splash it into a decanter to shake that off. Then you’ll find lovely spiced red-currant flavors and intriguing scents of roses and cardamom. The tannins are neither heavy nor hard, allowing the wine to open up to a summery salt-air freshness.
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.