Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is one of the coolest climate sites that the producer sources from, also known for growing great Syrah. Savory and earthy, it has a gamy, meaty quality wrapped in silky smooth tannins. The acidity bursts forth with focus and tension.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another Sonoma Coast release, the 2019 Pinot Noir Rodgers Creek Vineyard has a darker, edgy, Pommard-like edge to its fruit and is medium to full-bodied, nicely textured, and balanced, with notable structure on the palate and finish. Mulled cherries, raspberries, roasted herbs, and sous bois all define the bouquet, and this is another impeccably made Pinot Noir from this estate.
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Wine Spectator
Well-structured dried red berry and cherry flavors show lots of cedar and forest floor accents, backed by firm acidity. Features crisp minerality, with hints of white pepper lingering on the finish.
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James Suckling
A nose of red fruit, pomegranate, fresh herbs and baking spices. It’s medium-bodied with plush tannins. Round and creamy in the mouth with a ripe, sweet feel. Flavorful, bright finish.
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.