Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard offers a classic nose of red cherries, raspberry leaves and underbrush with hints of lavender, damp soil and mossy bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is finely played with great sophistication coming through in the perfumed fruit layers and earthy undertones, framed by ripe, silt-like tannins and finishing with a lively lift.
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Wine Enthusiast
Earth, mushroom and forest floor intrigue from sip one in this thick, densely structured effort from the great site. Cardamom, pine needle and cranberry contribute additional intrigue and spiciness to the palate, which is buoyed by bright, lengthy acidity and integrated oak.
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.