Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the Sonoma Coast, the 2017 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard nevertheless seems to have a touch of Russian River-like opulence and power, showing loads of mulberry and cranberry fruit as well as notes of scorched earth, graphite, licorice, and damp forest floor. Rich, concentrated, and medium to full-bodied, it shows the more focused, backward, chiseled style of the vintage yet is far from austere or angular. The cellar will be your friend on this one, and a solid 2-3 years of bottle age are warranted. Nevertheless, it's packed with potential. Ratimg: 96+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2017 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard gives up pronounced notes of warm cranberries, Bing cherries and raspberry coulis with hints of lilacs, underbrush and fungi. Medium-bodied, the palate is charged with red berries and earthy sparks, framed by silken-textured tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.
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Wine Spectator
Buoyant acidity backs a flavor profile that features savory richness to the dried raspberry and cherry notes. Sanguine details emerge on the powerfully spicy finish, offering accents of portobello mushroom. Drink now through 2025.
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Wine & Spirits
This grows at a Jackson Family vineyard in Occidental, neighboring Coast lands. Jeff Stewart captured the cool site in a brisk 2017 with vibrant notes of sour cherry and nori that contrast with the smoky, black density of its tannins. The extract is a little bitter for now, the wine needing bottle age to mellow and integrate.
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.