Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Beautiful and lush, with wonderfully rich flavors of cherry pie filling, licorice, rosehip tea, sandalwood and cola, with a dash of cinnamon, pepper and vanilla powder. Gorgeous now, and will develop for at least four years.
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Wine Spectator
Spicy red cherry, plum and rose petal scents are delicate and elegant. Medium-bodied, with a touch of candied cherry. This ends as it begins—delicate and elegant—gaining nuance and finesse. Drink now through 2014. 1,308 cases made
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.