Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Soft and ripe enough to drink now, after a decent decanting, it shows pure raspberry, blueberry and cherry fruit flavors, subtlely accented with cola and baking spices, and all of it wrapped into thick but smooth tannins. Good as it is, it will gain traction over the next 15 years.
Cellar Selection -
Wine & Spirits
A selection of three blocks from David Hirsch's far-coast vineyard near Fort Ross, this is made up of three heritage clones: Mt. Eden (block 4B), Pommard (5E) and Swan (6F). Give this time in a decanter and the delicate weave of flavor opens into a peacock's tail of colors and intricate patterns, the vanillin of the oak, the black olive tones of the tannins, the high-toned strawberry and orange-scented fruit all secondary to the refinement of the presentation and the energy that drives it. A joyous young vintage, this will age for a decade or more.
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.