Winemaker Notes
Panthera Pinot Noir showcases dynamic tension in wine style as this wine displays both a vibrant purity of fruit and a confident oak profile. Expansive and silky on the palate, notes of red plum, raspberry compote, and Bing cherry work in harmony with elegant tannins, supported by a signature backbone of acidity
nurtured on the Sonoma Coast. The deft baseline of toasted oak introduces hints of clove and baking spice to round out the perfectly balanced, lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blueberries and pine needles with some citrus and apple undertones. It’s medium-bodied with bright acidity and a clean finish. Straightforward. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Cherry pastry and plum paste flavors show notes of strawberry rhubarb in this red, with vanilla bean accents midpalate, followed by hot stone accents on the spicy finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Panthera Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir stands out with strength and style. TASTING NOTES: This wine is brazenly rich, yet it stays refined and elegant in the end. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows aromas and flavors of lively red and black fruits. A hint of wood and licorice rounds it out nicely. Serve it with an oven-baked game hen. (Tasted: January 29, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Reductive at first, with pronounced notes of oak, this wine becomes slithery and seductively rich on the palate in flavors of wild strawberry and raspberry. Black tea, nutmeg and forest tones add to its complex edginess.
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.