SEA SLOPES
BY FORT ROSS WINERY
PINOT NOIR 2021
SONOMA COAST
Lester and Linda Schwartz purchased a section of forest straddling the edge of the Sonoma Coast in 1988, where wind-swept, foggy ridges overlook the Pacific. Experts advised against planting vines in this cool-climate area, claiming it was too risky for viticulture. Still, after six years of experimentation with different clones, rootstocks, and trellising systems, Lester and Linda produced their first vintage, proving the site’s ability to grow exceptional Burgundian varieties.
Jeff Pisoni, son of the legendary winemaker Gary Pisoni, joined the team in 2009, bringing his experience gained from growing up immersed in wine culture and his degree in Enology from the California State University Fresno. The 2021 growing season was drier than average, forcing the vines’ roots to dig deep into the earth for nutrients and water, resulting in very concentrated Pinot Noir fruit, with flavors carefully integrated by aging the wine in 80% neutral and 20% new French oak for nine months.
SEA SLOPES
BY FORT ROSS WINERY
PINOT NOIR 2021
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $35
Your Price: $33
“The Sea Slopes Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021 is a virtual basket of red fruits on the nose and palate, with bright and fresh red raspberries, red cherries, and ripe plum, along with violets, cola, and fresh sage. It has an excellent concentration of fruit on the finish, surrounded by slightly chalky tannins in its youth, which will soften over the next few months.”
92 Points
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