Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
Silky and juicy with tangy acidity and lovely fresh cherry and raspberry; lively, balanced and complex with bright, fresh flavors and a long finish.
-
Wine Enthusiast
The winery has held back release on this Pinot considerably longer than their vineyard--designated wines. It’s softly tannic and silky in the mouth, with concentrated raspberry and cherry jam, brown sugar, vanilla bean and spice flavors.
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.