Sea Slopes Pinot Noir is inspired by the majestic Sonoma Coast and the steep rugged ridges perched at the golden edge of the continent. Here, the cool maritime climate produces fruit of exceptional quality and allows us to craft wines of great elegance and purity.
90 Points - Wine Advocate, April 2018
Pale ruby-purple colored, 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.—Lisa Perotti-Brown
91 Points - Jeb Dunnuck, June 2018
"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." -Jeb Dunnuck
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
An expressive ruby, this alluring Pinot Noir interweaves bing
cherry, cranberry, hibiscus and lilac aromas with a touch of dried rose petals mixed with
orange peel. The supple entry leads to wild strawberry, pomegranate, currant and juicy
black plum with fine tannins. The elegant, structured layers of pure fruit vibrantly
evolve into the bright, energetic, finish.
Production Notes
The temperate weather on the coast leading up to harvest was free of
both heat waves and rain, allowing the Pinot Noir grapes to mature slowly and
reach optimal development. Our lasting memory of the 2016 vintage is a vision of
perfect bunches, even berry size and a balanced crop.
Winemaker Notes
The grapes for this Pinot Noir were handpicked during the cool early
morning hours. After hand sorting, the fruit was cold soaked for several days.
Fermentation occurred with native yeast in 5 and 10-ton stainless steel tanks with a
combination of both punch down and pump-over maceration techniques to achieve a
balanced extraction of flavor, color and aromatic compounds. After fermentation, the
wine was transferred directly to barrel. A combination of 15% new and 85% neutral
French oak was used for the aging of this wine. Once in barrels, time allowed the wine
to seamlessly integrate the natural acidity, rich flavors and soft tannins into a perfectly
balanced and perfumed Pinot Noir.
