Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A vibrant, red-fruited style of pinot that has a wealth of gently grippy tannins and a convincingly long palate that holds a clear, juicy finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is an impressive selection from Winemaker Jeff Pisoni. A hint of forest-floor spice and strong flavors of dark cherry and orange combine on a light, silky texture. This offers a great sense of finesse within a framework of structure and freshness. Editors' Choice
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Pinot Noir Sea Slopes is another terrific value from this estate. Cherries, strawberries, spice, and an undeniable salty, marine-like minerality give way to a fresh, elegant, medium-bodied effort that shows the cooler, complex style of the Sonoma Coast appellation. Bravo.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Sea Slopes gives up notions of warm cranberries and Bing cherries with a raspberry leaves, dried sage and tilled soil undercurrent. The palate is medium-bodied, refreshing and vivacious with a nice bit of chew to the texture and a persistent earthy finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: At this price point, the 2016 Sea Slopes by Fort Ross Winery Pinot Noir is an excellent value. TASTING NOTES. This wine is true and pure. Its refreshing aromas and flavors of savory spices and cranberry should pair it well with a roast turkey in a wild mushroom sauce. (Tasted: March 7, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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.