Winemaker Notes
The biggest range of site exposure, elevation, soil, and climate of any of our single variety bottlings. "The most complete wine in our portfolio", according to winemaker Tim Colla. It takes an exceptional amount of tinkering and finesse to blend 7 Single-Vineyard ferments into a harmonious bottling. From Jim Pratt's Sebastopol Hills Vineyard, to the Sangiacomo Family's Roberts Road Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap, these vineyards represent decades of relationships and an understanding of the diversity of Sonoma Pinot Noir. Together, they represent a richer canvas than any one vineyard alone might provide.
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.