Winemaker Notes
The 2017 vintage endured tragic wildfires that were driven by 80 mph winds on October 8-9. The fires devastated Napa and Sonoma counties, destroyed more than 8,000 structures, took 44 lives and disrupted winery operations for several days. Fortunately, all of our Pinot noir grapes were picked prior to the fires and there was no impact to our 2017 Pinot noir wines. Balanced vines and temperature fluctuations resulted in layers of flavors and complexity in the wines. The overall high quality of the vintage is a blessing after such challenging events. In 2017, the vines matured at a slow pace, allowing for long hang time and complex flavor development. We whole-cluster fermented 20% of the Rodgers Creek Pommard clone, adding aromatic complexity and verve. We emphasized the use of new oak barrels made from the Bertranges forest near Nevers, France, which ofers earthy umami characteristics that enhance the natural earth and mushroom notes of the Pommard clone in this wine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
I love this wine’s fragrant sour-cherry and black-raspberry nose that also has delicate, toasty and spicy notes. Ripe and rather concentrated with fine tannins that support beautifully the long, dry yet silky finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Voluptuous, with plenty of rich, toasty notes to the red fruit and spice flavors, featuring accents of cola nut and sandalwood. Hints of chocolate show on the creamy finish. Drink now through 2023.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Mostly destemmed (20% whole clusters) and brought up in 50% new oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Rogers Creek Vineyard offers a medium ruby/translucent hue as well as a great Pinot Noir nose of spiced mulberries and raspberries intermixed with plenty of dried flowers and forest floor notes. It’s clean, medium-bodied, incredibly pretty, and elegant. It’s slightly fleeting on the fin
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Pinot Noir Rodgers Creek Vineyard was made with 20% whole cluster and aged in 50% new French oak. Pale ruby, the nose reluctantly opens to crunchy cranberries, sour cherries, woodsmoke, earth and dried leaves aromas with touches of baking spice. The palate is light to medium-bodied and earthy with restrained fruit, a grainy frame and good freshness on the finish. 800 cases produced.
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.