2018 Wayfarer Pnot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard Fort Ross Seaview

2018 Wayfarer Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard Fort Ross Seaview

with No Comment $90-$100Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

WAYFARER

PINOT NOIR
WAYFARER VINEYARD
FORT ROSS-SEAVIEW 2018 

2018 Wayfarer Pnot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard Fort Ross Seaview
Throughout his career, acclaimed Napa Valley vintner Jayson Pahlmeyer became increasingly enamored by Burgundian wines, leading him to search for the world’s finest vineyards for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the early 1990s. After a deal fell through in Burgundy, Jayson’s winemaker Helen Turley brought him to an organic farm for sale on the extreme Sonoma Coast that she felt had all the essential elements to be the ‘La Tache of California.’
 
Jayson purchased the property in 1998, and legendary viticulturist David Abreu planted the Wayfarer vineyard in 2002. The fruit was initially blended into Russian River fruit for the Pahlmeyer label until 2012, when the exceptionally high quality of the harvest demanded a brand of its own. Each block for the 2018 vintage was handpicked before sunrise and hand-sorted to guarantee only the healthiest grapes selected, producing elegantly structured wines with intense flavors, bright acidity, and incredible precision.
 
WAYFARER
PINOT NOIR
WAYFARER VINEYARD
FORT ROSS-SEAVIEW 2018 
 
Your Price: $98
 
 
“The 2018 Pinot Noir Wayfarer Vineyard has a medium ruby color and slowly opening perfume of garrigue, dried orange peel, prosciutto and rose petals with mineral-laced cranberry and red and black berry fruits. The medium-bodied palate, grainy and incredibly fresh, slowly gains in flavor amplitude and nuance in the mouth, ending in a fanfare of spicy detail.”
98+ Points
 
“…This deeper ruby/purple-hued effort offers an awesome bouquet of black raspberries, scorched earth, toasted spices, and flowery incense. It’s rich, medium to full-bodied, and a stunning effort.. Bravo!”
96 Points
2019 Vicarious Pinot Noir By Modus Operandi Sonoma Coast

2019 Vicarious Pinot Noir By Modus Operandi Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaSonoma CoastUSA

VICARIOUS

BY MODUS OPERANDI
PINOT NOIR 2019
SONOMA COAST

2019 Vicarious Pinot Noir By Modus Operandi Sonoma Coast
Jason Moore of Modus Operandi Cellars is a self-taught winemaker who developed a passion for wine while working in fine dining restaurants. At 24, he moved to Napa, where immense self-discipline and valuable mentors helped shape his winemaking style of crafting deep, intensely captivating, balanced wines.
 
The Vicarious Collection is a readily drinkable, crowd-pleasing selection to simplify the sometimes overwhelming world of wine by offering a product made without snobbery and over-delivers on quality at an affordable price. The 2019 Pinot Noir is sourced from small vineyards along the Sonoma Coast, focusing on the Fort Ross-Seaview/Russian River/Occidental regions for a fresh essence of bright fruit ripened by the California sun.
 
VICARIOUS
BY MODUS OPERANDI
PINOT NOIR 2019
SONOMA COAST
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“The Vicarious Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019 immediately struck a chord when I tasted it. The nose begins with bright, zesty, classic Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir aromas, including red cherries, fresh berries, cola, spring flowers, and light baking spice. The balanced palate has a beautiful combination of brighter and darker fruits, beautifully blending the bright freshness with concentrated flavors and length. This bottling is a high-quality Pinot Noir at a modest price.”
93 Points
2018 Morlet Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles Fort Ross Seaview

2018 Morlet Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles Fort Ross Seaview

with No Comment $100 and overFort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirUSA

MORLET

2018 PINOT NOIR
COTEAUX NOBLES
FORT ROSS – SEAVIEW

2018 Morlet Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles Fort Ross Seaview
Luc Morlet grew up on his family’s Estate in Avenay-Val d’Or, where he discovered that he shared the same deep passion for wine that members of his family have had for generations. Luc began honing his skills in the vineyards of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Southern France while studying all aspects of wine production at a young age.
 
Luc left France in 1996, joining his wife Jodie in California, bringing with him his savoir-faire of Old-World winemaking techniques, becoming known and respected in Napa and Sonoma for crafting superbly balanced, terroir focused wines. This bottling embodies Luc’s minimalistic approach to winemaking, allowing the Pinot Noir’s natural beauty to show through and fully display the prized Fort Ross AVA terroir.
 
MORLET
2018 PINOT NOIR
COTEAUX NOBLES
FORT ROSS – SEAVIEW
 
Your Price: $110
 
 
“Coming from the Nobles Ranch Vineyard in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA (northern Sonoma Coast), the 2018 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles has a ripe, opulent bouquet of black raspberries, orange blossom, baking spices, white chocolate, and candied violets. Gorgeous on the palate as well, this full-bodied Pinot Noir has a rounded, opulent texture that carries bright acidity, ripe tannins, and a distinct salty minerality and subtle marine-like influence. It’s already drinking spectacularly well yet will cruise for a decade in cold cellars. It’s the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve tasted.”
98 Points
 
“The Coteaux Nobles Pinot Noir comes from 27-year-old vines planted at the Nobles Ranch vineyard in Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2018 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles pops with lifted floral notes of roses and lavender over a core of Morello cherries, ripe raspberries and fresh mulberries, plus wafts of wild thyme and tilled loam. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with red berries and herbal accents, supported by soft, silky tannins and racy freshness, finishing long and fragrant.”
96 Points
2019 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2019 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $40-$50Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

FLOWERS

2019 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 

2019 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Flowers Vineyards and Winery founders were among the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA early pioneers recognizing the potential of growing cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the rugged, isolated Sonoma Coast. Their organic and biodynamic approach to farming is part of their continued commitment to respect the environment and cultivate healthier vines for higher quality wines.
 
The 2019 vintage started quite cool with some snow on the estate that helped oxygenate the soils, bringing vital nutrients to the vines. The cool coastal temperatures throughout the summer allowed for slow ripening and intricate flavor development that is unforgettably irresistible, resulting in this remarkable expression of coastal Pinot Noir.
 
FLOWERS
2019 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Aromas of ripe strawberries, red cherries and colored flowers. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, well-integrated tannins. Fresh acidity and bright, juicy fruit on the palate. Well balanced. Drink now.”
93 Points
 
“…The 2019 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is deeper ruby-hued and has pure, classic, textbook notes of ripe cherries, raspberries, spring flowers, and underbrush. The balance is spot on, it has ripe, present tannins, good freshness, and a great finish.”
92 Points
2017 Fort Ross Pinot Noir Sea Slopes

2017 Fort Ross Pinot Noir Sea Slopes

with No Comment $30 and underFort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

FORT ROSS

2017 PINOT NOIR
SEA SLOPES 

2017 Fort Ross Pinot Noir Sea Slopes
Fort Ross was one of the first to plant Pinot Noir on the extreme Sonoma Coast’s rugged ridges, overlooking the Pacific. After purchasing the land in 1988, the Schwartz family spent years experimenting with various clones, rootstocks, and trellising systems, before selecting a set of heritage clones that they believed would best reveal the terroir of their majestic vineyard. Their 2017 Sea Slopes is the delicious result of the culmination of their continual drive to make the best wines from their Estate, and at $30, the value is real.
 
Sea Slopes comes exclusively from the winery’s Estate Vineyard located in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA, a source for Peter Michael, Marcassin, Martinelli, Flowers, and Pahlmeyer, to list a few.
 
In 2009 renowned winemaker Jeff Pisoni came aboard to articulate the best attributes of the Estate further. Jeff barrel ages this wine for ten months in mostly neutral barrels to integrate the natural acidity, rich flavors, and soft tannins into a beautiful, perfumed Pinot Noir.
 
 
FORT ROSS
2017 PINOT NOIR
SEA SLOPES
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
“This red offers outstanding value for the quality: a balanced, textured and varietally satisfying expression of coastal coolness and acidity. Earthy flavors of tea, cola, black licorice and dried herb provide an exoticism amidst elegant layers of orange peel and cranberry.”
92 Points, Editors’ Choice
 
“Aromas of wild red flowers and red cherries, as well as raspberries here. The palate has a gently creamy texture with fine, supple and even-paced tannins, carrying vibrant, fresh-fruit flavors. Drink now. Screw cap.”
91 Points
2017 Hirsch Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault

2017 Hirsch Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault

with No Comment $40-$50Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

HIRSCH

2017 PINOT NOIR
SAN ANDREAS FAULT

2017 Hirsch Pinot Noir San Andreas FaultHirsch Vineyards overlooks the Pacific Ocean and sits within the highly-revered Fort Ross Seaview AVA, where icons Marcassin, Peter Michael, and Pahlmeyer all source fruit. The vineyard produces some of the most powerfully concentrated, distinct, and complexly flavored Pinot Noir grapes in all of California. Simply put, Hirsch is one of those rare wines that you remember for months or even years after tasting…  

Similar to Burgundy, Hirsch Vineyard has 67 individual blocks, each corresponding with soil and terroir changes created by the nearby San Andreas Fault. This beauty is the winery’s flagship wine, and in the 2017 vintage, it encompasses 28 separate blocks within the Estate and is an extraordinary representation of their property. 
 
The 2017 vintage of San Andreas Fault has super-concentrated red and blue fruits, intense pomegranate, raspberry tea, and sea minerals. At $50, this is Grand Cru quality California Pinot Noir that’s brilliant now and will cellar for at least another decade. 
 
HIRSCH
2017 PINOT NOIR
SAN ANDREAS FAULT
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“A homage to the great fault line near Hirsch, this pinot has a brambly, rich array of red cherries and some blue-fruit notes with fresh, sappy, forest aromas, too. The palate has plenty of punchy tannin and forthright, fresh, unwavering drive.” 
93 Points
 
 
 
“… Pale to medium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault has a delicately played nose with touches of cinnamon stick, dried leaves, perfumed earth and a mineral vein plus rose petal perfume, red berries and black fruit sparks. The palate is light to medium-bodied with delicate intensity and well-balanced fruit and earth character, knit by grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing long and nuanced”  92 Points

2017 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $40-$50Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

FLOWERS

2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

 

Flowers is a winery that helped shape Pinot Noir production along the extreme Sonoma Coast through style, consistency and quality.  They began their journey nearly 30 years ago and they helped pioneer the plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in what’s now known as the Fort Ross Seaview AVA.  In 2011, it was approved as its own Appellation within the Sonoma Coast region.  The area is also a source for such notables as Peter Michael, Marcassin, Martinelli Martinelli, Fort Ross and Pahlmeyer, to list a few.  The 2017 is wonderfully energetic and blooms with intense raspberry, wild strawberries, lavender and baking spices.  At under fifty bucks, I highly recommend harvesting some for your cellar.

With attention to every detail, Flowers hand-sorts their fruit on their custom-built shaker table before gently dispersing the berries onto the next sorting table where six sorters assess every cluster before allowing only the best fruit to pass through into the fermenters.  Blossoming after 10 months in oak, this Pinot is indescribably beautiful now and will continue to bear gorgeous fruit for the next decade…

 
FLOWERS
2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
 
Your Price: $49.99/btl

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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast gives up intense scents of kirsch, violets, rose hip tea and chocolate-covered cherries with touches of garrigue and dried Provence herbs. Medium-bodied with delicate floral and red fruit layers in the mouth, it has wonderfully satiny tannins and a long, lively finish.”  90 Points
 
Customers that enjoy Flowers Pinot Noir may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots… 
2015 Trombetta Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2016 Castalia Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
TROMBETTA
2015 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
From Wine Enthusiast: “This is a juicy exploration of the coast-a well-made effort that showcases notes of forest floor, black tea and savory pine. The black cherry and currant fruit leans dark and brooding, with an impressively balanced, medium-bodied hold on the palate.”  90 Points
CASTALIA
2016 PINOT NOIR
ROCHIOLI VINEYARD
 
Your Price: $59.99/btl

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Arising from one of California’s Grand Cru Vineyards, this Pinot Noir is so enchanting, that it will literally speak to your soul.  A penetrating ruby/purple in the glass, the 2016 is beautifully layered with baked raspberries, warm cranberries, back cherry, roses, shaved chocolates and was carefully guided from grape to bottle by Terry Bering, Cellar Master for Rochioli Vineyards for over two decades…
2013 Fort Ross FRV Pinot Noir

2013 Fort Ross FRV Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

FORT ROSS

2013 PINOT NOIR
FRV, SONOMA COAST

2013 Fort Ross FRV Pinot Noir
There are plenty of reasons why we love Fort Ross Pinot Noirs.  Their winemaking is second to none with Jeff Pisoni calling the shots. Further, their prices have also remained realistic over the years, despite the growing fan base and well-deserved scores.  The number one thing that keeps me coming back year-after-year is the ideal location of their vineyard… It’s centered in the idyllic Fort Ross Seaview AVA, which in 2011 was approved as its own Appellation within the Sonoma Coast, the area is also a source for such notables as Peter Michael, Marcassin, Martinelli, Flowers and Pahlmeyer, to list a few…  Their 2013 FRV Pinot Noir is a wine marked by stunning detail, length and character, and at this price, I can’t wait to experience it again…
 
Beautifully expressing the exceptional terroir found in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA with perfectly nit flavors, If you’ve tasted any of the earlier vintages of Fort Ross, you likely need no further commentary, other than to know the 2013 is now available.  If you haven’t tried a Pinot from this beloved producer, here’s a chance to enjoy one at a truly fantastic price.
 
FORT ROSS
2013 PINOT NOIR
FRV, SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $52.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl
YOU SAVE 23% 
 
From Jeb Dunnuck: “The 2013 Pinot Noir FRV Fort Ross Vineyard sports a ruby color as well as an open knit, ready-to-go bouquet of dried cherries, tobacco, menthol, and dried herbs. It’s pretty, medium-bodied, rounded, and supple, with an evolved style ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years.” 90 Points
 
Customers who enjoy Fort Ross FRV Estate Pinot Noir may also enjoy these two stunning Pinots…
2016 Orrin-Sage Sonoma Mountain Pinot Noir 2015 Daniel Grandvent Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
ORRIN-SAGE
2016 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA MOUNTAIN
Retails at:  $49.00/btl
 

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Arising from the rugged Sonoma Mountain AVA, a unique area which gains some of the cooling influence from the Petaluma Gap and produces brilliant Pinot Noir fruit.  Bevan, Siduri and Flowers are just a few of the wineries that have crafted Pinots from this unique area.  The 2016 has stunning balance and opens up to vivid red fruits, dried rose, wild blueberries and tea leaf.   This remarkable expression of Pinot Noir was was expertly made by Justin Harmon who gained valuable experience as an intern under Russell Bevan.
DANIEL
2015 PINOT NOIR
GRANDVENT VINEYARD
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl

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YOU SAVE 33%
 
Tasting Notes: “… Sultry aromas of Bing cherry, tart cranberry and strawberry rhubarb pie combine with fresh sage, subtle green peppercorn, white rose petals and lavender to make your mouth water from the first whiff.  Next, wave after wave of complex flavors taunt your palate with Morello cherries, Desertnyi pomegranate, perfectly ripe Japanese black plum that beautifully intermingle with hints of cola and a touch of earthy dried porcini mushroom.  Densely focused red and black fruit flavors linger on your palate in such a compelling way, that you never want it to stop...”
2016 Fort Ross Sea Slopes Sonoma County Pinot Noir

2016 Fort Ross Sea Slopes Sonoma County Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

FORT ROSS 2016 Fort Ross Sea Slopes Sonoma County Pinot Noir

2016 PINOT NOIR
SEA SLOPES 

Always intellectually pleasing, detailed and memorable, Fort Ross is one of our most requested Pinots… Formed from the winery’s Estate vineyard, located in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA, which in 2011 was approved as its own Appellation within the Sonoma Coast, the area is also a source for such notables as Peter Michael, Marcassin, Martinelli, Flowers and Pahlmeyer, to list a few… Fort Ross excelled in 2016 and at under forty per bottle, this Pinot has everything that I look for in classic, extreme Sonoma Coast Pinot.  
 
The 2016 is vibrant and with a delicious, supple texture, it perfectly expresses the exceptional terroir found in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA.  It was expertly guided from grape to bottle by renowned winemaker Jeff Pisoni and is loaded with class and wonderfully articulate flavors.  If you’ve tasted any of the earlier vintages of Fort Ross, you likely need no further convincing, other than the fact that the 2016 is now available.  If you haven’t tried a Pinot from this beloved producer, here’s a chance to enjoy one at a truly fantastic price.
 
FORT ROSS
2016 PINOT NOIR
SEA SLOPES
 
Your Price: $34.99/btl
 
 
“… the 2016 Pinot Noir Sea Slopes gives up notions of warm cranberries and Bing cherries with a raspberry leaves, dried sage and tilled soil undercurrent. The palate is medium-bodied, refreshing and vivacious with a nice bit of chew to the texture and a persistent earthy finish” 
90 Points
“The 2016 Pinot Noir Sea Slopes is another terrific value from this estate. Cherries, strawberries, spice, and an undeniable salty, marine-like minerality give way to a fresh, elegant medium-bodied effort that shows the cooler, complex style of the Sonoma Coast appelation. Bravo.” 
91 Points
 
Customers that enjoy Fort Ross Sea Slopes Pinot Noir may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots…

  

2015 Matias Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015 Crossbarn by Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir
MATIAS 
2015 PINOT NOIR
SIERRA MAR VINEYARD
Retails at:  $55.00/btl
 

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Anybody who’s tasted the Matias wines knows what an incredible value they offer.  The level of class and sophistication is higher than any Pinot Noir close to this price point.  Their single vineyard 2015 SierraMar Pinot explodes from the glass with bright bing cherry, wild raspberries, spice box and hints of white pepper.   It emerges from Gary Franscioni’s Sierra Mar Vineyard, one of Santa Lucia Highlands highest elevation vineyards.  The Franscioni’s own and farm the iconic Garys’ and Rosella Vineyards and are partners in the revered Pisoni and Soberanes Vineyards… 
CROSSBARN
2015 PINOT NOIR
By PAUL HOBBS 
 
Your Price:   $36/btl 

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The short-list of the world’s top consulting winemakers is small, and many would argue that Paul Hobbs should be at the top.  To me, the most clear-cut reason for him being there is simply that people love his wines…  Forbes calls Paul the Steve Jobs of wine, referencing his ardent exactitude of winemaking and he’s clearly one of the most innovative and gifted winemakers.  The Forbes article also notes, that Hobbs was twice named Wine Personality of the Year by Robert Parker.  This wine, with three 90-92 point reviews, is an excellent introduction to the wines of Paul Hobbs.