Pinot Noir

Rhys makes some of the best Pinot Noirs anywhere.  This one is one of their best.  Medium ruby in color. The nose has cherries, soy and baking spices. Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is complex and concentrated. Layers of cherries and black cherries along with spice and char.  Long finish.  This is great on its own but would work with many foods.  Roasted duck or chicken would be perfect.  At age 10, just starting to show some maturity.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

I don't think this vineyard is in production any longer which is a shame as they were the source of some great Pinot Noir.  Luckily, there is still some out there and it is beautiful.  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, sour cherries, and spice.  Great texture.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is deep.  Flavors of sour cherries and slight cranberries.  Long finish.  This is at peak at age 17 but still has about five to seven years at this level if well stored.  Nice on its own but better with food.  It would go well with pasta in a mushroom sauce.  

Cuvaison’s Small Lot program (typically wines produced under 300 cases) has been a goldmine for Cuviason and winemaker Steve Rogstad who shows his deft touch with nearly every wine in this portfolio. Using Pinot Noir heirloom clones (including Swan, a personal favorite of mine) this is clearly a step away from most Pinot Noir on the market. This drinks more Burgundian than California. The fruit is rather muted but more macerated (Steve calls it “elegant intensity”) and the support comes from the green tea leaf, light tobacco, earthy morel, dried thyme and spice notes.

It was interesting tasting this side by side with the 2018.  Very similar, but I slightly preferred the 2019.  On the other hand, this was very different than the 2014 and 2018 Summa also tasted.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and a cola note.  On the palate, this is big, fruit forward with black cherries, some cherries and char.  Full bodied.  Long finish.  This is delicious but clearly filled with sunshine and fruit.  Great on its own, this will also work with well roasted fowl but also a steak. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

This is a much deeper, darker Pinot Noir than the Summa from 2018.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, spice and dust.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cherries and powdered cherry candy notes along with some spice.  Long finish.  This is still drinking very young.  Nice on its own, this will work well with food.  A nice with for Roasted Lamb Chops.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This seemed to be a step up from the 2014 Summa.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is bigger and riper with cherries, candied cherries and sandalwood.  Medium to full bodied.  Soft texture.  Good balance.  Despite being a bit more blowsy in style, it is also deeper and more complex.  Flavors of cherries, cherry drink mix and a bit of char.  Delicious.  Long  finish.  This is drinking well on its own and would work well with food.  It would work well with grilled Portobello's.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years. 

Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is lovely with cherries, cinnamon, and slight spice notes.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cherries, some rhubarb and slight cloves.  Long finish.  This has some depth and complexity.  Still on the younger side of peak but getting there.  Nice on its own but better with food.  Cheese worked well, but this would be nice with roasted duck or chicken.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years. 

This vineyard's Pinots keep getting better and better.   Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  A nice nose with black cherries, cherries and baking spices.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, plenty of cherries and black cherries.  This is drinking well now and should continue to for another ten to fifteen years.  It is nice on its own and will work nicely with pork chops.  

The definition of a "pretty" Pinot Noir.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is feminine/elegant with cherries, slight plums, spices and some minerality.  Medium bodied.  Wispy tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, cherries, some black cherries and spice with slight char and minerality.  Long finish.  This is lovely on its own, but even better with food.  It went great with Cauliflower steaks but would work well with Salmon steaks as well.  Drink over the next ten years.

A terrific Pinot considering the price, this affordable wine showcases the rustic quality of Sonoma Coast fruit. Obvious strawberry, red raspberry, light pomegranate, and plum fill the palate. The weather along the Sonoma Coast also produces a brambly quality, more macerated deeper and richer red fruits along with an ideal acidity and moderate tannins. Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen wisely chose to keep the oak treatment minimal, using only 30% new French oak with reduced toast levels. These choices make this great with food - a delicate Pinot Noir that offers some heft and swagger.