Winemaker's Notes
I don’t always make a Sonoma Cost Pinot Noir, but when I do, I want it to be as compelling from a hedonistic standpoint as any single-vineyard wines I bottle from the area. I had made a Sonoma Coast bottling for a friend’s label for about a decade, using parts of Platt and High Slopes for their wine in the right proportions to achieve balance and channel the coastal vibe. In that spirit, I also regularly looked at my own production of these, exploring combinations and synergies. It’s what I’m supposed to do, right? When it was obvious that the blend of what I had was more compelling than the components in 2020, there was no question what to do. We had the same situation in 2021. My job is to optimize each bottling. So, this is what I do without over-thinking it. It’s quite simple, actually.
Nice, ripe red beets, hibiscus and hints of peony arise on the nose initially. Juicy acidity resonates among appropriate tannic framework that yields politely to moderate richness and texture befitting great coastal Pinot Noir. Then comes aromas of sandalwood, forest floor in Sonoma County right after a rain (but not where the bay trees flourish), madrone tree after being split for firewood, and sweet, leaf piles that have been turned a few times. Sounds all woodsy, but there is a good bit of fruit there – just not too much to get in the way of the coastal vibe. Flavors absolutely follow the aromas. What we see here is great structure and solidity.
I recall the early vintages of Flowers Vineyard Pinot Noir made by Steve Kistler in the 1990’s and feel this echoes those memories of dense solidity and a form of dynamic tension not usually seen in the RRV at the time, which was quite exciting, different and a bit unnerving for those not leaning into change and learning. I worked with Hirsch Vineyard for a few years beginning in 1999, Fort Ross from 2000 to 2004, a vineyard from Annapolis far to the north from 2006 to 2014 and Platt from 2007 to 2021. So I have a clear idea of what the Sonoma Coast can give us, despite the large range of sites and situations it encompasses, adding to my experiences in the Russian River Valley since 1988. Again, this is a blend of both our High Slopes material and part of Platt, and is a second installment of how these sites can resonate well together. Again, this combination was first done under our label in 2020 with the beautiful and transparent 2020 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.
