The attractive red fruits and fresh acidity typical of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir are highlighted, creating a balance that allows two people to enjoy drinking one bottle together. The ratio of vineyards varies from year to year, but this wine is a good representation of the characteristics of VTG. The 2021 vintage is a blend of Joy Road, Suma, and Oxidantal Ridge in the Oxidantal region, as well as a small amount of Bear Wallow (Anderson Valley). A pleasant concentration, fresh acidity, and a gorgeous mix of blue, red, and black berries.
Sonoma Coast, Occidental Region
The focus of attention for Rivers-Marie's Chardonnay and Pinot Noir comes from the Occidental region, which is located in the coastal hills that separate the region from the cold ocean (west of Russian River Valley/Green Valley).
The area has a cool climate influenced by sea fog, poor soil, soil formed from uplifted marine sediments, and ample daytime sunlight, making it an ideal terroir for producing the finest Pinot Noir.
Thomas Rivers Brown said, "Wine is a product of nature."
The fields and production vary greatly from year to year.
Thanks to our connections with Scott and Joan Zeller, friends and wine growers from our time at Turley, we have produced wine from the following vineyards.
Suma (own vineyards), Occidental Ridge, Willow Creek, Silver Eagle, Riddle Ranch, Lancel Creek, Gioia, Kanzler, Thielio, Joy Road, Pratt, Bearwallow, etc.
Pinot Noir winemaking
The hand-picked grapes are de-stemmed (leaving only the stems of the best bunches), and then cold soaked for about 7 days at 10°C (be careful not to let the surface dry out).
On the fifth day, turn off the cooling device and allow the temperature to rise naturally.
Fermentation begins on the 7th or 8th day, and is left to proceed naturally (in cooler years, it can be over in 3 days or continue for 10 days).
The free-run juice and pressed juice are left to sit overnight before being transferred to barrels (the proportion of new barrels varies depending on the cuvée, but is relatively small), and malolactic fermentation is completed in approximately 10 months.
Only after the lees are naturally removed do we add a small amount of SO2. The blend is decided in early summer and bottled before the next vintage harvest. (No filtering, no artificial racking.)
It will be left on hiatus for about six months, then released in the spring after the new year.
Vintage Information
Compared to 2020, when we had to give up almost all winemaking, 2021 feels like a return to normal years.
Although the spring started off warm and there were several heat waves, small bunches of grapes were produced and we were able to patiently wait for the right timing to harvest them without them becoming overripe.
Looking ahead to 2020, we were keen to achieve a large yield, but we were able to adjust the yield to achieve the highest level of quality and harvest perfect grapes.
Several new program vineyards have been added.
Production volume: 1,200 cases
Tasting Comments
The 2021 vintage is characterized by its bright color, fresh acidity and flavors of red fruits such as pomegranate, black cherry and plum.
The gorgeous aroma has nuances of herbs, smoke, earth and spring flowers, and is excellently balanced with the fruitiness.
It has pleasant tannins, and because this wine uses a low percentage of new oak, the fruit character is more prominent than the oak influence.
VINOUS 94P Jan. 2023 by Antonio Galloni 2021V Received high scores and high praise among Pinot Noirs.
clone
Mount Eden is harvested slightly earlier, giving the wine an elegant, aromatic and finesse.
The 828 has a strong red and black berry character that is at the heart of its flavor.
The Pommard clones give the wine structure and a long finish.
Field Information
The 2019 vintage was made solely from grapes from Riddle Ranch, located north of Occidental, but the 2021 vintage is a blend of several vineyards in the Occidental region, perfectly expressing the individuality of the region.
The main farm is on Joy Road, closer to the sea than the town of Occidental.
Small amounts of Suma and Occidental Ridge are added, with Anderson Valley's Bear Wallow adding an accent.
Vintage: 2021
Capacity: 750ml
Type: Red wine
Taste: Medium bodied
Main variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Country of Origin: America
Region Name: California
AVA: Sonoma Coast
Remarks: Limited stock VINOUS 94P Jan. 2023 by Antonio Galloni 2021V Higher score than single vineyard
Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown
Rating: 90P or above
Cap: Cork
Alcohol content: 14.3%