Overview
The West Sonoma Coast — from Fort Ross-Seaview down to the Petaluma Gap — produces California's most Burgundian Pinot Noir. Extreme sites on steep ridges above the fog line, volcanic and sandstone soils, and relentlessly cool ocean air create wines of electric acidity and red-cherry delicacy that shocked California's wine world in the 2000s. Flowers, Littorai and Hirsch are benchmark names.
In The Glass
- Colour
- Medium ruby
- Nose
- Red cherry, Strawberry, Cranberry, Violets and Forest floor.
- Palate
- California's Burgundy — cool, precise, red-fruited, wildly elegant. Generally light-bodied, electric acidity, soft tannins, dry, with a long finish.
Tasting Profile
Body Light2/5
Tannins Soft2/5
Acidity Electric5/5
Sweetness Bone Dry1/5
Alcohol Medium3/5
Grapes
Pinot NoirChardonnay
Aromas And Notes
Red cherryStrawberryCranberryPomegranateVioletsForest floorMushroomHerbsTruffleCedarTeaDried rose
Terroir
Cold maritime — Pacific fog channels through river valleys, temperatures barely reach 25°C even in summer.
Franciscan Complex (greywacke/chert)VolcanicMarine sandstone
Food Pairings
Wild salmonDuck breastMushroom risottoGrilled quailAged Brie
Notable Producers
- Flowers Vineyard, founded 1991 - Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge Pinot Noir
- Littorai, founded 1993 - The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir
- Hirsch Vineyards, founded 1980 - San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir