Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Pinot Noir 'The Estate' displays a shimmering deep ruby color in the glass. The nose is beautifully perfumed, expressing fresh, pure fruit aromatics of Morello cherry, pomegranate, cranberry and orange peel augmented by dried sage, hibiscus and a touch of dried black tea leaves. Fine-textured, silky tannin makes for a luxurious mouthfeel, while well-integrated oak provides a refined polish to the vibrant fruit character. Lively acidity drives a satisfying balance between richness and delicacy that culminates in a long and complex finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A bright red ruby hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir The Estate is lifted in the glass and has a lot of fresh, bright notes of rosy perfume, grenadine, rosemary, and sweet earth. Medium-bodied, it has a vibrant energy and savory drive on the palate, with notes of salty earth and tea leaf, a light umami richness, ripe tannins, and evenly balanced acidity. It is lovely all the way through and is going to show its best if given more time in bottle. Drink 2026-2040.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir The Estate has bright, ringing scents of tangerine oil, black tea leaves, charcuterie and dusty earth accenting raspberry and strawberry fruit. The medium-bodied palate is bright and firmly structured, with sleek, layered fruit and a long, detailed finish. It will be long lived in bottle.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Spectator
Ripe and alluring in style, with creamy flavors of raspberry and cherry fruit accented by light tea and anise notes. A streak of red licorice adds a nice gloss on the finish. Drink now through 2032.
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.”
On the far western edge of the larger Sonoma Coast appellation, the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA hugs right up against the Pacific coast. Vineyards, planted at rugged elevations between 920 to 1,800 feet, occupy only two percent of the total land in the AVA. Fort Ross-Seaview growers believe that the region boasts an ideal mix of sunshine, cool air and beneficial stress for producing high quality Chardonnay and Pinot noir.