Winemaker Notes
This vintage is an old soul, a representation of new and old-world Pinot at its best. The 2017 will be the first to come from Riddle Vineyard, Sonoma Coast. Thomas Rivers Brown, our winemaker, has so kindly offered to use grapes from his vineyard. We feel that the 2017 Pinot Noir is outstanding. This Pinot Noir has a beautiful deep rich raspberry color. There are hints of cherry, plum, strawberry, raisin and rose petals on the nose. Lemon sage and an earthiness are evident on the palate with a nice pepper tickle on the back of the throat. This mouthfeel gradually segues into a smooth, gentle, and lingering finish you won’t want to go away. There’s a wonderful elegance in this gorgeous Burgundian Pinot. The taste will take you away and soothe your soul.
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.