Winemaker Notes
Very intense raspberry and kirsch flavors with earthy notes (graphite), rich, round and seamless with a very fruity lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Pinot Noir Côteaux Nobles is a powerful, deep and explosive wine. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather and mocha are all amplified in a succulent, racy Pinot Noir that hits all the right notes. Silky tannins and soft, plush contours add to its considerable appeal. Bright floral accents and a hint of pomegranate lift the finish. Here, too, cellaring is needed to soften the tannins.
Rating: 93+ -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From the Fort Ross-Seaview district, the 2020 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles boasts almost candied red berry fruit on the nose and palate. It's fun and vibrant, even if it's maybe just a bit simple relative to the other Pinots here. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, with a slightly coarse texture but ample concentration and a lingering finish.
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.