Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
Cool conifer forest scents meet dark raspberry flavors in this smooth pinot, a steal at $16. There's some tarry, smoky tannin in the end, balancing the lasting fruit flavors and keeping the wine savory.
Heron focuses on California's most respected appellations to craft balanced, fresh wines that are both expressive and easy to enjoy. Inspired by the strength and determination of its namesake bird, the brand was founded by Laely Heron, one of the pioneers of female-owned and produced wine brands in California.
Heron wines are never made to a formula. Each vintage begins with a thoughtful search for the best grapes across California's top growing regions, resulting in wines that consistently highlight finesse, freshness, and balance. Year after year, Heron has earned "Best Buy" recognition from Wine Enthusiast, a testament to its outstanding quality and value—and its ability to stand out alongside much larger wine brands.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.