Top 10 True Sonoma Coast Wines
The True Sonoma Coast is famed for its striking landscapes and pioneer spirit. William Kelley offers up of the 10 finest examples of its cool-climate wine styles.
Rugged and fog-swept, the True Sonoma Coast is north California’s most fashionable young wine region, celebrated for its striking Pinot Noir.
Winemakers committed to cool-climate styles, often inspired by Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, are helping to shape the True’s reputation as a marginal site; the perfect place to produce wines with an Old World-inspired balance between fruit and acidity.
- Scroll down to see the top 10 best Sonoma Coast wines
What makes ‘the True’ special is the marriage between its proximity to the Pacific and its distinctive topography. ‘It’s all about access to the ocean,’ explains winemaker Ehren Jordan, whose Failla label has long specialised in these unique sites.
Area: Only 20% of Sonoma Coast AVA’s 194,000ha qualifies as True Sonoma Coast (an unofficial appellation). The 11,000ha AVA of Fort Ross-Seaview, approved in 2012, was the first distinct macroclimate to receive official recognition.
Location: A narrow band of the coast, running from Bodega Bay in the south to the limits of the Sonoma Coast AVA in the north.
Grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with Syrah and small plantings of Riesling, Trousseau and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ted Lemon, a proponent of biodynamics who established his Littorai winery in1993 after a stint at Domaine Roulot in Meursault, was one of the first, though he disclaims slavish reverence for French practice. ‘You’ll never hear what the land is saying,’ he insists, if you simply follow foreign formulae.
Following suit, more and more winemakers in the True are now exploring the parameters of the possible, many of them experimenting with marginal ripeness and whole-cluster fermentation, for example.
Alongside these increasingly diverse expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, other varieties are also attaining prominence. Compelling, cool-climate Syrah from the likes of Arnot-Roberts, Anthill Farms, Ceritas and Peay impress for their finesse and aromatic amplitude.
Of course, not all experiments are so successful. Nor are many wines from the True inexpensive. But for its dynamism, excitement and potential, this strikingly beautiful region has few rivals in North America.
10 best Sonoma Coast wines:
Littorai, Charles Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2013
93
Ted Lemon makes some of the most restrained, ethereal and elegant wines in the Sonoma Coast, with a commitment to biodynamic viticulture. Lemon oil, chamomile and wet stone characterise this taut, crisp but textural Chardonnay from a site that often produces wines which give a nod to Chablis.
2013
LittoraiSonoma County
Failla, Chardonnay, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2013
91
Aromas of lemon, honeysuckle, nutmeg and pastry cream are the prelude to abright, glossy palate impression, with good cut and concentration. This appellation wine is a great introduction to Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.
2013
FaillaSonoma County
Rivers-Marie, Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2012
The nose offers captivating aromatics of cinnamon, red cherry and blood orange. These are followed by a beautifully balanced, deep and sappy wine. While the...
2012
Rivers-MarieSonoma County
Arnot-Roberts, Que Syrah Vineyard Syrah, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2013
95
Planted in 1993, the Que Syrah vineyard is located only 3km from the Pacific Ocean, making it the oldest and coolest planting of Syrah on the Sonoma Coast. This is a juicy, richly textured and expansive Syrah, replete with wild, briary fruit, dark minerality and bay leaf notes. A true benchmark for this grape in California.
2013
Arnot-RobertsSonoma County
Radio-Coteau, Las Colinas Syrah, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2012
95
Eric Sussman’s wines always stand out thanks to their sophisticated and savoury complexity – and this Syrah is certainly no exception: bright, wild berry fruit marries with notes of grilled meat, violet and tar. The palate shows elegant tannins and classical balance.
2012
Radio-CoteauSonoma County
Peay Vineyards, La Bruma Estate Syrah, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2013
93
<p>The Peay’s Estate Vineyard is another of the very cool sites for Syrah in Sonoma County. Bursting with meaty red and black fruit, anise, liquorice and juniper, this is a brooding wine that will appeal to fans of the northern Rhône. Firm-structured tannins demand either time in the cellar, or decanting.</p>
2013
Peay VineyardsSonoma County
Peter Michael, Ma Danseuse, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2013
93
Peter Michael’s steep Seaview Estate vineyards are on the reverse-slope of the first ridgeline in from the Pacific, with vine material from Burgundy. The plummy fruit, rich earth, rose and spice of this cuvée evoke the Côte d’Or: ample and authoritative. Lofty alcohol, but its vivid fruit tones avoid torrefaction.
2013
Peter MichaelSonoma County
Hirsch Vineyards, San Andreas Fault Estate Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2013
92
<p>Griotte cherry, coniferous sous-bois and raspberry sorbet lead into a juicy, broad and elegantly supple palate. Fruit from 30 different vineyard parcels informs this wine, a composite portrait of the estate and its geological heritage. A little time in bottle should see this unwind.</p>
2013
Hirsch VineyardsSonoma County
Anthill Farms, Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2013
90
The team at Anthill Farms makes an interesting range of Pinot Noirs and some seductive cool-climate Syrah. Tart wild plum, rhubarb and cranberry fruit tones mingle in this juicy, vibrant Pinot Noir that displays crisply refreshing acidity and supple tannin. Rather gulpable and attractively delicate.
2013
Anthill FarmsSonoma County
Kutch, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2014
90
Perfumed bouquet of rich rose, red cherry and cocoa, followed by a spicy, sappy and supple palate. One of the more easy-going and immediate wines in the Kutch portfolio, this is 100% whole cluster but the stems’ contribution is already nicely integrated.
2014
KutchSonoma County
