Winemaker Notes
Red Car Heaven & Earth Pinot Noir offers notes of baking spice, wild blackberry, and pomegranate.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lovely hibiscus and strawberry. Orange peel. Lemon blossom. Medium body. Oyster shell and fresh seaweed undertones to the bramble fruit flavors. Pretty and vivid. Calera and Pommard clone. Give it two or three years, but impressive.
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Vinous
The 2021 Pinot Noir Heaven and Earth Vineyard is gorgeous. A wine of textural depth and resonance, the 2021 exudes character. Succulent dark cherry, plum, spice, leather, licorice, incense and dried herbs build as the 2021 sits in the glass. A dollop of whole clusters adds layers of dimension. Orange peel, sage and mint linger. More than anything else, the 2021 is a wine of striking harmony. The mix of clones on this site—Calera, Pommard and 828—yields an exceptional wine.
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose of this Pinot is redolent of Amarena cherry and crushed raspberries, with orange peel, sarsaparilla and caramel aromas emerging over time. The palate has a toasted spice character, with black tea, raspberry liqueur and citrus pith flavors mingling in a very savory framework. It's a very Burgundian expression with great aging potential.
Cellar Selection -
Jeb Dunnuck
A little north of Occidental, Red Car’s Heaven & Earth Vineyard is located six miles inland at 500 feet elevation and is surrounded by a cattle ranch. A bright ruby red color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Heaven & Earth is lifted on the nose with notes of cranberry, bright spices, orange peel, anise, and dusty earth. Medium-bodied, it has a lot of structure as well ripe tannins and even, refreshing acidity through the finish.
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Wine Spectator
This red is open-knit at first, with bright red and black cherry fruit mixed with singed sandalwood and potpourri notes. Gains depth as this moves through the polished finish. Drink now through 2031. 375 cases made.
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.