Winemaker Notes
From its dark, dense garnet color, to its multifaceted aromas of roasted cranberry and espresso—with just a hint of cola, this is a rich and expressive Pinot Noir. Full and satisfying in the mouth, it delivers a veritable explosion of ripe black cherry and baking chocolate flavors, all wrapped in subtle, but notable toasty oak. With nice structure and a complex, persistent finish, this is a wine that should age very well.
Professional Ratings
Founded in 1987 by Sonoma County winemaking pioneer Steve MacRostie, MacRostie Winery & Vineyards has established itself as one of the Sonoma Coast's defining wineries. Since taking over as Winemaker in 2013, Heidi Bridenhagen has taken the vineyard program to new heights, partnering with legendary winegrowing families, including the Duttons, Sangiacomos, Martinellis and Bacigalupis, as well as crafting wines from MacRostie's own Thale's Estate, Nightwing and Wildcat Mountain vineyards. With breathtaking panoramic views from the MacRostie Estate House overlooking the Russian River Valley, the MacRostie team has set a new standard of hospitality excellence in the region.
WINEMAKING: The journey from land to bottle is organic, intuitive and more often felt than calculated. Rather than beginning with an end state in mind, Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen let each vineyard’s grapes dictate what they want to become. The winemaking team has access to a remarkable level of vineyard diversity, enabling exploration of the entire Sonoma Coast and beyond, producing bright, balanced, and complex wines. Heidi oversees 150+ small fermentations each vintage, yielding a broad palette of flavors to work with at the blending table. Every bottle of MacRostie wine is an expression of time and place, crafted to accompany your special moments.
In July 2022, Wine Spectator Magazine named Heidi Bridenhagen as one of the “Next Generation of Chardonnay Stars.” Since Heidi was named winemaker, MacRostie has been recognized for making many of the finest wines in its history and has earned more than 450+ scores of 90 points or higher from major wine publications.
SUSTAINABILITY: Since 2015, MacRostie is one of less than 150 California wineries (out of more than 5,000) to hold the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) accreditation. CCSW certification requires a process of “continuous improvement,” and we are constantly expanding and refining our sustainability program. MacRostie believes in creating wines that reflect the bounty of the Sonoma Coast, while protecting the region and its environment. Sustainability is a fundamental element in how MacRostie approaches growing and making wines and respects that the land carries through in every part of the process. MacRostie’s focus on sustainability can clearly be seen in many areas of operations, from water conservation to energy efficiency, composting and waste reduction.
COMMUNITY: MacRostie is a proud partner of No Kid Hungry and believes in No Kid Hungry’s mission to end childhood hunger in the United States by helping the millions of U.S. children struggling with hunger. As a proud long-term partner, MacRostie’s annual financial contribution provides the equivalent of 200,000 meals for children facing food insecurity.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.