Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by notes of Asian plum sauce, black cherries, spice box and a touch of oak. Full-bodied, rich, youthful and vigorous, it should continue to improve for 3-4 years and last 7-8. Rating: 92+
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Wine Enthusiast
Wild strawberry, cardamom and clove vie for attention around boysenberry and blueberry ripeness. Intense oak dominates at first, before bowing down to the layers of soft violet and rose. Let this wine open or cellar it away until 2019.
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.