2016 Petersen Vineyard Pinot Noir - Sonoma Coast Vineyards

Bright bing cherry, damp forest floor, cranberry cocktail. Muddled raspberry, loose leaf black tea, rhubarb compote. Allspice and powdered cinnamon, crushed pinecone and wet leaves. Ripe strawberry and boysenberry explode with weightless expanse, booming and bold yet far from comandeering. Forest tones, umami, and earthy spice emerge valiantly to exert their will, spewing fresh evergreen, sauteed mushroom, rosemary, and black olive that hold their weight against the boisterous fruit. Nutmeg, vanilla, and clove reveal tastefully integrated oak that does not distract from lava rocks and basaltic minerality. Gently brooding and pretty yet powerful, with medium plus acidity and medium tannin balancing marvelously inside a medium plus bodied frame. This 2016 Petersen Vineyard Pinot Noir by Sonoma Coast Vineyards is an exceptionally complex and wonderfully delicious wine from the extreme Sonoma Coast.

Once thought to be far too marginal to successfully grow wine grapes, the far reaches of western Sonoma County have emerged as one of the most interesting sources for domestic Pinot Noir. This bottling, crafted by Sonoma Coast Vineyards using Pinot Noir sourced from the Petersen Vineyard near Sebastopol, is an extremely compelling example of this area's amazing potential. This wine is Burgundian in many ways yet brims with telltale Californian amplification - it plays all the classic notes just a bit louder than usual. This is a tremendously impressive bottling that competes with the very best of the new world. Absolutely wonderful.