Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple, the 2017 Estate Pinot Noir Ama bursts with a deep well of aromas: cranberry sauce, burnt orange peel and aniseed are accented by notes of oolong tea, forest floor, iron and iodine. In the mouth, it's medium-bodied, broody, concentrated and layered with a long, flavorful finish. This is a bigger, bolder and spicier version of Ama that offers immediate drinkability straight out of the gate with its bright freshness and bold flavors, but will age gracefully in the cellar for another 5-7 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.