Petite Abeille Pinot Noir 2014
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Situated in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast lies the Schreeching Owl Vineyard. The small, three-cloned Pinot Noir block, tended to by grower and winemaker Deb Mayo, produces a sensually complex yet elegant wine. Possessing a rich, ruby color with a slight pink rim, the aromatics are intense and fruit forward. Red fruit dominates leading with cherry and raspberry followed by spice, toast, and a bit of forest floor. The palate is silky in texture with ripe cherry coupled with notes of cranberry, rhubarb, and rose hips.
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.