Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Because of the relatively low alcohol, this Pinot has a refreshingly delicate mouthfeel. It’s also tart in acidity, giving the flavors a bright bite. And those flavors are dazzling, suggesting sour red cherry candy, ripe Christmas persimmons and cranberry preserves. Such a pretty wine, and it will age well through at least 2020.
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Tasting Panel
Deep ruby color; lush, dense and ripe with cherry fruit and bright acidity; fresh, balanced and complex.
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.