Winemaker Notes
Pinot Noir is about perfume and Terra de Promissio consistently epitomizes that. Delicate aromas of red cherry, fresh flowers, dried herbs, and citrus all meld together in a subtle way that offers wonderful balance. Similarly in the mouth, the wine has terrific purity that is seductive and alluring. Very refined in tannin structure and modest in acidity, the wine reaches a terrific sense of balance.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
The iron and oyster shell character in the nose comes through with aromas of strawberry. Lavender and other flowers. Full-bodied with very firm tannins and an intensity. Closed off at the end. Shows verve.
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.