Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Pungent, spicy earth and cinnamon rise out of the wine’s bouquet, inviting one to enjoy a structured expression of cranberry, raspberry and black tea. The tannin structure is well managed and the oak strong, yet integrated. Gap’s Crown is among the vineyards that figure into the blend, along with several Dutton family properties. This is fresh and focused.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The biggest cuvée, the 2013 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast comes from many different sources, including Dutton Ranch, Martinelli Family, Chenoweth Vineyard, and a handful of others, that are blended together for a relatively consistent style from vintage to vintage. The lovely 2013 exhibits terrific blueberry and black raspberry fruit interwoven with notions of Chinese black tea, oak, earth and beet root in the background. This nicely textured, medium-bodied Pinot Noir possesses zesty acidity as well as admirable aromatics. Enjoy it over the next 5-8 years.
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.