Winemaker Notes
Bright ruby in color and scented with red raspberry and Darjeeling tea, this lively expression of Russian River Valley and Coastal fruit dispels layers of blackberry and Bing cherry along with subtle hints of vanilla and forest floor. Supple tannins and balanced acidity grace a long finish.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A svelte, sultry wine that wafts plummy forest-like aromas over flavors of sour cherries, dark plums and mulled berries. Medium-bodied, nice and smooth in texture, lifted by light tannins and good acidity to keep it fresh and linear.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a deep magenta/ruby color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Y3 is an appellation wine coming from the Sonoma Coast. Juicy and ripe on the nose, with notes of mixed berry preserve, pressed flowers, and mossy earth, it continues with ease to the palate and is generous in its medium frame, with a fruity profile and a supple texture.
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.