Winemaker Notes
The wine presents aromas of cranberry, kirsch, and Earl Grey, while the palate reveals flavors of cocoa nibs, Morello cherry, and cola berry. It pairs beautifully with 5-spice chicken wings, turkey burgers, or roasted steelhead.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Full-bodied for a coastal pinot, with pleasing aromas of blue and tart red fruit, woodsy and herbal botanicals like pine and juniper berries and flavors of dried cranberries. On the palate it achieves weight without heaviness and concentration without richness. A wine this structured needs time.
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.