Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Cherry, ripe raspberry and a dash of clove on the nose. An incredibly approachable wine that highlights fruit from Carneros and the Petaluma Gap. Lively acidity carries fresh fruit flavours and sweet spice to a well-managed finish.
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Tasting Panel
White-peppered cherries and clove-dotted cedar make their mark on the nose and palate as sweet tobacco and wild raspberry go hand in hand with tip-top acidity. As this lovely wine opens up, aromas and flavors of forest floor emerge on a brambly finish tinged with cherry cola. The result is poised and delicious.
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James Suckling
Attractive, bright aromas of oranges and pomegranate here with a briary layer of cherries and leaves. The palate has a sturdy frame of rich tannin and earthy, dark-cherry and berry flavors. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Schug Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is on target as an excellent example of a stylish and well-balanced wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits a pleasing balance. Its elegant aromas and flavors of red fruit and dried herbs should pair well with an oven-baked, rosemary-accented chicken. (Tasted: February 28, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
Schug Winery was founded in 1980 with unwavering dedication to Pinot Noir excellence—a specialization that spans 45 years and sets them apart from generalist wineries. Walter Schug, the legendary winemaker who created Joseph Phelps' iconic Insignia, established his legacy in Carneros, where low-intervention Old World winemaking meets California terroir.
Today, 5th-generation German winemaker Johannes Scheid continues this authentic heritage with wines that consistently score 90+ points across their entire portfolio. Johannes trained at Walter's alma mater in Germany, bringing multi-generational European winemaking expertise to their sustainable California practices.
What makes Schug exceptional is their genuine commitment to specialization and authenticity. While others spread their focus across multiple varietals, they've perfected their craft with nearly half a century devoted to exceptional Pinot Noir. This deep expertise, combined with their European winemaking tradition and compelling value proposition, has driven their national expansion and established Schug as a trusted name among wine enthusiasts who appreciate both heritage and quality.
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.