Sonoma Coast: 2021 vintage report and 2022 preview

This is an exemplary coastal Pinot Noir. Scallop Shelf is an estate cuvée selected by winemaker Vanessa Wong. The driver is Pommard clone selection (60%),...

A little more than 1ha at up to 250m, the Emmaline Ann vineyard is surrounded by redwood forest. Made with 40% whole clusters and aged...

Very little, if any, whole cluster says Ted year after year for the Theriot Pinot Noirs. The site is south-facing and west of the town...

<p>Named for Stephen Kistler's daughter Catherine, who is the assistant winemaker. This wine was tasted from bottle #C1111. It's a soulful hedonism in the bottle....

Planted as a Lark, the Peays weren't sure Syrah would ripen. Often, it makes it to 21 brix, at 13%. The late autumn sunshine pushes...

Cleary Ranch Vineyard is one of the coldest sites on the West Sonoma Coast, where the Pacific foggy marine layer meets the cooling effects of...

Planted in 2002, but this wine has always produced singular wines. A Darker fruit comes forward in the aromatics: dusty violets and freshly squeezed blood...

Planted in 1998, this low-yielding vineyard on a south-facing slope is certified biodynamic and owned by the Porter-Bass family. Littorai winemaker Ted Lemon finds a...

Dry farming is always an option, even in hot vintages. In 2021, Occidental grew abundant canopies, and a cool September meant a more relaxing vintage....

Tasted from bottle #S1933, the SWK, or Stephen William Kistler, is planted at 250m and offers floral richness. This is a medium-weight, classical Pinot Noir....

Les Titans is a wine of feral herbaceousness, ferrous minerality and meaty, briny depths. Truly grown on the climatic edge in Annapolis on the cold...

Blue and tart black fruits, earth driven soils and a barrel selection across the various estate and non estate vineyards. Fresh aromatics leap out of...

A rocky soil unlike the other Hirsch parcels, the only true single block Hirsch wine. The site is divided into 7 sub parcels, red volcanic...

This wine was made beginning in 2009. As the Hirsch winemaker, Ross Cobb decided to isolate the plot on the eastern ridge as its own...

Two plates created the California coastal mountains and the Central Valley, a former inland sea. The fault line is a mere kilometre from Hirsch Vineyards....

The Haven Vineyard was Littorai's original estate site. It was planted in 2000 on south-facing slopes at 400m, making it among the highest vineyards in...

The Pivot site is at the heart of the Littorai estate barely a hectare, where the winery is located. Planted in 2004, it farmed with...

Pomarium is Latin for apple orchard. The Peay estate is a former 140-year-old apple orchard on the far West Sonoma Coast; nowadays, it is planted...

Elegance meets richness, violet and rose petals play alongside tart early season black berries. There palate shows gossamer elements of pine bough, and briny sea...

The original block at Doc's is comprised of Swann clone planted in the mid-90s, and then Calera was planted in 2000. This is a blend...

East facing across the lane from Emmaline Anne, 90% whole cluster, this wine and winemaking shows intense floral aromas, sweet blue and red berries, red...

At just 2 ha, Rice Spivak vineyard is a non-estate site that Ross has worked with since 2003, going to a single vineyard designation in...

A core of smoky saline aromatics leap out of the Failla Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir. With ample ripeness at 14.2%, this wine balances the depth...

Named for Hurricane Gloria, this Pinot Noir offers a sense of opulence, but elegance carries the day. The estate site is comprised of Swann, Calera,...

The Yu-Ki estate is a selection of 21 barrels, differentiated from the Wes Sonoma Coast bottling. Every Pinot clone planted at Yu-ki is represented in...

Light-bodied and supple from the Campbell Ranch Vineyard on the West Sonoma Coast, this Pinot Noir is undeniably elegant with fresh purple florals, a touch...

A newer wine from Hirsch's oldest vines, closer to the ocean. Much of this was initially planted on AXR rootstock and had to be replanted;...

2007 was a remarkable year for Hirsch, vines were getting older and David Hirsch decided to bottle single blocks on their own. Planted with the...

The original Rich Savoy vineyard, planted in 1986, is on top of the mountain, at around 600m above the town of Boonville. At about 3ha...

Savoy was planted in the early 90s, and Littorai has been sourcing from Savoy since 1995. The Littorai blocks are at the foot of the...

Tasted from bottle # B10457, the Bodega Ridge is a departure from the other Occidental bottlings, leaving earthen pungency for a purity of fruit. It...

<p>A homage to suitcase clones, the Traveler is named for claims that the wines may have been clones from La Tache. It's reliably the lowest...

This is an exemplary coastal Pinot Noir. Scallop Shelf is an estate cuvée selected by winemaker Vanessa Wong. The driver is Pommard clone selection (60%),...

A little more than 1ha at up to 250m, the Emmaline Ann vineyard is surrounded by redwood forest. Made with 40% whole clusters and aged...

Very little, if any, whole cluster says Ted year after year for the Theriot Pinot Noirs. The site is south-facing and west of the town...

<p>Named for Stephen Kistler's daughter Catherine, who is the assistant winemaker. This wine was tasted from bottle #C1111. It's a soulful hedonism in the bottle....

Planted as a Lark, the Peays weren't sure Syrah would ripen. Often, it makes it to 21 brix, at 13%. The late autumn sunshine pushes...

Cleary Ranch Vineyard is one of the coldest sites on the West Sonoma Coast, where the Pacific foggy marine layer meets the cooling effects of...

Planted in 2002, but this wine has always produced singular wines. A Darker fruit comes forward in the aromatics: dusty violets and freshly squeezed blood...

Planted in 1998, this low-yielding vineyard on a south-facing slope is certified biodynamic and owned by the Porter-Bass family. Littorai winemaker Ted Lemon finds a...

Dry farming is always an option, even in hot vintages. In 2021, Occidental grew abundant canopies, and a cool September meant a more relaxing vintage....

Tasted from bottle #S1933, the SWK, or Stephen William Kistler, is planted at 250m and offers floral richness. This is a medium-weight, classical Pinot Noir....

Les Titans is a wine of feral herbaceousness, ferrous minerality and meaty, briny depths. Truly grown on the climatic edge in Annapolis on the cold...

Blue and tart black fruits, earth driven soils and a barrel selection across the various estate and non estate vineyards. Fresh aromatics leap out of...

A rocky soil unlike the other Hirsch parcels, the only true single block Hirsch wine. The site is divided into 7 sub parcels, red volcanic...

This wine was made beginning in 2009. As the Hirsch winemaker, Ross Cobb decided to isolate the plot on the eastern ridge as its own...

Two plates created the California coastal mountains and the Central Valley, a former inland sea. The fault line is a mere kilometre from Hirsch Vineyards....

The Haven Vineyard was Littorai's original estate site. It was planted in 2000 on south-facing slopes at 400m, making it among the highest vineyards in...

The Pivot site is at the heart of the Littorai estate barely a hectare, where the winery is located. Planted in 2004, it farmed with...

Pomarium is Latin for apple orchard. The Peay estate is a former 140-year-old apple orchard on the far West Sonoma Coast; nowadays, it is planted...

Elegance meets richness, violet and rose petals play alongside tart early season black berries. There palate shows gossamer elements of pine bough, and briny sea...

The original block at Doc's is comprised of Swann clone planted in the mid-90s, and then Calera was planted in 2000. This is a blend...

East facing across the lane from Emmaline Anne, 90% whole cluster, this wine and winemaking shows intense floral aromas, sweet blue and red berries, red...

At just 2 ha, Rice Spivak vineyard is a non-estate site that Ross has worked with since 2003, going to a single vineyard designation in...

A core of smoky saline aromatics leap out of the Failla Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir. With ample ripeness at 14.2%, this wine balances the depth...

Named for Hurricane Gloria, this Pinot Noir offers a sense of opulence, but elegance carries the day. The estate site is comprised of Swann, Calera,...

The Yu-Ki estate is a selection of 21 barrels, differentiated from the Wes Sonoma Coast bottling. Every Pinot clone planted at Yu-ki is represented in...

Light-bodied and supple from the Campbell Ranch Vineyard on the West Sonoma Coast, this Pinot Noir is undeniably elegant with fresh purple florals, a touch...

A newer wine from Hirsch's oldest vines, closer to the ocean. Much of this was initially planted on AXR rootstock and had to be replanted;...

2007 was a remarkable year for Hirsch, vines were getting older and David Hirsch decided to bottle single blocks on their own. Planted with the...

The original Rich Savoy vineyard, planted in 1986, is on top of the mountain, at around 600m above the town of Boonville. At about 3ha...

Savoy was planted in the early 90s, and Littorai has been sourcing from Savoy since 1995. The Littorai blocks are at the foot of the...

Tasted from bottle # B10457, the Bodega Ridge is a departure from the other Occidental bottlings, leaving earthen pungency for a purity of fruit. It...

<p>A homage to suitcase clones, the Traveler is named for claims that the wines may have been clones from La Tache. It's reliably the lowest...