2021 Broadley Pinot Noir Claudia’s Choice, Willamette Valley
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 94 Points
This is a bright, focused bottling, with concentrated aromas of cranberry sauce, fresh pomegranate, black raspberry and coriander seed poised above emerging scents of sweet tobacco and minerality. These elements are mirrored on the palate, where they are youthfully coiled yet long lingering. Expect another three years or more of steady evolution and lovely fruit and racy style at maturity. Estate Grown & Bottled, 179 cases produced.
2020 Chev Pinot Noir Spear Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 96+ Points
Elegant, sweetly ripe and forthcoming, the nose of this polished bottling elevates focused aromas of raspberry, bottled red cherry, pomegranate, pink peppercorn, sumac berry, nutmeg and baking spice above mineral undercurrents. It is just as concentrated if a bit more youthful on the palate, where the minerality and oaky spice are almost as expressive as the fruit. Classy and lingering, the finish is a more youthful rendering of the aromas, yet the balance is already notably food-worthy. Expect twelve to 24 months of positive evolution. 1800 cases produced.
2021 Patiné Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 96 Points
This is a gorgeous Pinot Noir with a big future. The nose offers impressively rich, bright, chiseled aromas of cranberry, whortleberry, lingonberry, orange zest, pink peppercorn and sumac berry that hover above subtle mineral undercurrents. Things seem even more elevated in the mouth, where the palate feel is especially rich and the flavors, if firm, are extremely long. The fruit is piquantly fresh and it interacts with the wines opulent richness to create an exciting impression of tension. As appealing as it is now, this Pinot will surely be special, if allowed another three to five years of cellar time. 156 cases produced.
2020 Peake Ranch Pinot Noir John Sabastiano Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 96+ Points
Still young and zesty, yet already complex and impressively focused, the aromas of this classy wine are a medley of boysenberry, blackberry, lingonberry, cherry galette, coriander, baking spice and toasted hazelnut scents. The texture is elegant and the flavors prove at least as focused and even more intense on the palate, while the finish is lingering and expressive. The lasting memories include strong suggestions of berries, cherry pit, coriander, mace and cardamom. 264 cases produced.
2021 Peirson Meyer Pinot Noir Miller Vineyard, Russian River Valley
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 97+ Points
This is a concentrated, big-scale Pinot Noir, with lots of character to suggest that a fine future lies ahead. The aromas are a rich, almost heady, mix of sour red cherry, cranberry sauce, black raspberry, sumac berry and pink peppercorn scents, with emerging notes of cardamom and baking spice in the background. It is both weighty and zesty in the mouth, where tannin and mineral undercurrents bring textural firmness and subtly tighten the fruit expression. The finish is very long and the finishing flavors prove a faithful replica of the aromas. If delicious now with Prime Rib or roast duck, it is two or three years from its full expression. 150 cases produced.
2021 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir Fay’s Reserve, Sonoma County
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 95+ Points
This cuvee is produced annually from the winery’s four best barrels, and this young example well represents Sonoma’s vibrant 2021 vintage. The nose is both pretty and generously fruity and it focuses on scents of dark sour cherry, red raspberry and lingonberry jam. It is subtly tongue coating in the mouth, where tannins and bright zest tighten up a deep core of cherry and red berry. The lingering finish is fruit dominant, yet sports pretty undercurrents of canela and baking spice. If well balanced for dinner service already, the wine wants another two years or so to show at its very best. 100 cases made.