Winemaker Notes
Of special note this year, the 2016 Running Fence Vineyard Cuvee Catherine Cuvee Catherine is the first vineyard-designated pinot noir from our Bodega Ridge property. A striking nose combines the wild red berry aromas of the cuvee Elizabeth and SWK vineyard with darker tones of black raspberry, violets, and oriental spice. This vivid mix of red and black fruits is braced by a beam of salty minerality that adds structure and tension to this outstanding wine. Finishes with great energy, length, and a rising perfume.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the oldest block just outside the estate (although these are all relatively young vines), the 2016 Pinot Noir Running Fence Vineyard Cuvee Catherine is the first vintage for this cuvée and it's a barrel selection made in the winery. Awesome notes of black and blue fruits, crushed flowers, violets, and hints of charcoal give way to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, thrillingly textured Pinot Noir that does everything right. As with all these 2017s, it’s vibrant and elegant, yet has terrific concentration, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Give it a year or two.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is the first wine from the Running Fence vineyard. The 2016 Pinot Noir Running Fence Vineyard Cuvée Catherine has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and a nose of cranberry, black cherries, rhubarb and pomegranate liqueur with hints of bergamot leaves, woodsmoke, dusty earth, stone and flowers. Light to medium-bodied, it has a great core of earth and floral-tinged fruit with a backbone of grainy tannins and lip-smacking acidity, finishing long and juicy with a saline touch.
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.