Winemaker Notes
Displaying graceful accessibility in its youth, the 2017 La Neblina Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir entices with a delicate mélange of fruit and spice. Fresh raspberry, red cherry, and black plum beckon, along with warm notes of allspice, and dried green tea leaf. Woven amongst well-integrated tannins is a hint of sarsaparilla, balanced by ripe cranberry and a slight minerality. Extended time in glass reveals earthier elements of mushroom and sous bois, a glimpse of the ageing potential of this versatile wine.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Brought up with 25% whole cluster and aged in one-third new French oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir La Neblina reveals a light ruby color as well as a brilliant bouquet of sweet raspberries, spring flowers, hints of mint, and forest floor. Medium-bodied, silky, and elegant, it's a great introduction into the style of the wines of this estate.
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.