Winemaker Notes
A juicy, complex wine with persistent flavors of Luxardo cherries, strawberry compote, and spicy, floral notes. The Sonoma Coast parcels show the typical crunchy red fruits, while the Russian River fruit gives the briary bramble, all accented with spice from the whole cluster inclusion. It is an unctuous wine with a weighty palate, excellent balance, and texture.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Generous floral and black-fruit aromas are echoed in pure, focused black cherries, cloves and cinnamon flavors, while moderate tannins are well integrated for a soft texture. It’s a charming and flavorful wine that’s easy to love.
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James Suckling
Ripe cherries, chocolate, dried citrus peel and hints of bitters on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy tannins and vivid acidity. Smooth and sleek yet it shows some tension and crunchiness in the finish.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.