Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Fresh in primary fruit flavors, such as black raspberries, cherries and red plums, it has overtones of coffee, cola, rosehip tea and pomegranates.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The closed, medium to full-bodied 2005 Pinot Noir Peay Vineyard has tart acidity, but plenty of potential. One can feel the weight and overall intensity of this wine on the palate, but I would not touch a bottle for at least 3-4 years. It should last for 12-15 years.
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.