Winemaker Notes
Vivacious and exotic, this bold Pinot Noir expresses the best attributes of its coastal, rugged hillside vineyard location. The wine displays a brilliant purple hue in the glass. A crescendo of aromas suggests notes of clove, black licorice, cranberry skin, and mint oil. The silky palate is layered with complex notes of spice dusted bramble fruit, lavender, kirsch, star anise, and plum reduction. With a mouth-watering acid framework and exotic spice lingering through the very long finish, this vintage has all the best qualities this site provides.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Also superb, the 2019 Pinot Noir The Coast reveals a deeper purple, almost opaque color to go with a powerful bouquet of mulled black cherries, roasted herbs, forest floor, and leafy herbs. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it brings plenty of density and depth, yet as with the Chardonnay, it has a wonderful sense of freshness and purity as well as a lengthy finish. Another beautiful wine from this team, it will benefit from short-term bottle age and drink well for a solid 8-10 years.
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James Suckling
A pretty, floral nose of violets and roses with notes of plums and ripe red cherries as well. Full-bodied with tight tannins. Bright acidity lifts up the powerful, concentrated dark flavors of tobacco and black fruit. Espresso at the finish. Drinkable now, but best after 2024.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.