Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another gorgeous, perfectly balanced wine, although not quite as rich as the 2010, is the 2011 Pinot Noir Clos de Ciel. Lots of forest floor, underbrush, cola and red and black currant characteristics are present in this more evolved yet surprisingly powerful and dense 2011.
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Wine Spectator
An elegant, graceful style, this is youthful, with vibrant, snappy blueberry, wild berry and anise flavors, enlivened by zesty acidity and ending with a long, persistent 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.