Winemaker Notes
On the nose, the wine shows fresh red cherries with hints of ripe peach, earth, wet stone, anise and mint. With air, crushed fresh strawberries emerge, along with hints of orange oil and dried straw. On the palate, the attack is juicy and concentrated, with notes of dried goji berry, dark plum skin and a hint of baking chocolate. The finish is long and persistent. The tannins here will need a few years to resolve, but the wine has ample fruit to age. There is a density of fruit in the 2021 San Andreas that marks it as one of the finest vintages ever produced of this wine.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
So much fresh flowers with hibiscus and honey blossom. Dried citrus like lemon zest. Medium-bodied with fine tannins that are super integrated. Zesty finish. Lots of focus and beauty. The tannins are perfectly melted into the wine. Drinkable but even better in two to three years.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault has very pure scents of blueberries, pomegranate, mushroom, damp earth and aniseed. The medium-bodied palate features concentrated, spicy flavors. It has a chalky texture, bright, gently tangy acidity and a long, layered finish. It will benefit from 2-3+ years in bottle.
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.