Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Pax Mahle includes a “disclaimer” on his website for this wine: “Warning this is what pinot noir tastes like…no toasty oak or gobs of alcohol to mask the purity of the grape and the vineyard…” He hit it in this vintage, with a wine grown directly in line with the Pacific winds on the west-facing slopes of Sonoma Mountain. He ferments it with stems (50 percent) and without adding yeast, in concrete and neutral oak. The woodiness of the stems is immediately apparent, almost aggressive when first poured. Then the payoff comes as those stems integrate into the red fruit, adding depth, explosive spice and contributing to the silken texture as the mineral acidity and mouthwatering flavors draw you back for another sip. If you taste it, prepare to be hungry, ready with tea-smoked duck
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A bit of a stylistic departure, the 2011 Pinot Noir Gaps Crown Vineyard comes across as rich, deep and sensual next to the rest of the range. Dark red cherries, flowers, mint, spices and licorice all flesh out in an expressive, generous Pinot Noir that captures the very best qualities of the year. In 2011, 75% of the wine was aged in concrete eggs, an unusual approach with Pinot that yielded stark, naked expression of fruit that is remarkable for its purity. The 50% whole clusters are nicely integrated throughout. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2019.
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.”
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.