Tasting Report: Sonoma County Pinot Noirs

I finally completed a tasting of Sonoma County Pinot Noirs, and I found a number of wonderful wines – two wines I scored 95 points. I know that the accepted wisdom from many is that the Russian River Valley produces some of the best California Pinot Noirs. And although I found many outstanding examples from that appellation, I was much more impressed with Pinots from the Sonoma Coast. The reds have so much more finesse and balance. In fact, I was surprised how many Pinots from the Russian River Valley are overly alcoholic and burn on the finish.

It’s hard to generalize about vintages. The 2009 vintage is excellent but there are excellent wines in 2008 as well as 2007. I think it’s better to buy Sonoma Pinot Noirs based on producers and vineyard sites. It’s like that in many ways with Burgundy.

In any case, Sonoma Pinot Noir is definitely something that I will be exploring more in the future. They offer much better value than California Cabernet Sauvignon and they have more terroir-driven wines that show their provenance.

Click for a list of all wines by name, or by score.

 

Also tasted, but not receiving marks of 90 points or more:

2010 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Keefer Ranch Vineyard 2009 Acacia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 Amphora Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Lakeville Vineyard 2008 Amphora Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Peters Vineyard 2010 Arista Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Harper's Rest Vineyard 2009 Armida Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Castelli-Knight Ranch 2009 Armida Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Bacigalupi Vineyard 2009 Benovia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Bella Una 2009 Benovia Pinot Noir Sonoma County Cohn Vineyard 2010 DeLoach Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 Donum Pinot Noir Carneros West Slope 2009 Dunstan Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Durell Vineyard 2009 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast McDougall Vineyard 2009 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Sea View Ridge 2009 Fort Ross Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Sea Slopes Fort Ross Vineyard 2009 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Hallberg Vineyard 2009 Joseph Swan Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Trenton Estate Vineyard 2009 Kokomo Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Gopher Hill Block Peters Vineyard 2009 Kokomo Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Windsor Oak Vineyards 2009 Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Leras Family Vineyards 2009 Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Nunes Vineyard 2009 Small Vines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast MK Vineyard 2010 Sojourn Cellars Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Gap's Crown Vineyard 2009 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Hirsch Vineyard 2009 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Olivet Lane Vineyard 2009 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma County  2009 Zepaltas Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  2009 Acacia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Roberts Road Vineyard 2009 Adobe Road Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  2009 Amphora Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sapphire Hill Vineyard 2010 Arista Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Longbow 2009 Armida Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley Parmelee-Hill Vineyard 2009 Baton Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Laguna Ridge 2009 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Taylor Lane Vineyard 2009 Benziger Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 Buena Vista Pinot Noir Carneros  2009 Castalia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Rochioli Vineyard 2009 Donum Pinot Noir Carneros Thomas 2009 Dry Creek Pinot Noir Russian River Valley DCV10 2009 Dumol Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Ryan 2007 Fort Ross Sonoma Coast Reserve Fort Ross Vineyard 2009 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Akiko's Cuvee 2009 Frei Brothers Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Reserve 2009 Fulcrum Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Gap's Crown Vineyard 2008 Halleck Vineyard Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Three Sons Cuvee 2009 Hanzell Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley  2010 Hatton Daniels Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  2009 Hop Kiln Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2008 Kastania Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Proprietor's Reserve 2009 Macphail Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Gap's Crown Vineyard 2008 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Dona Margarita Vineyard Mas Cavalls Torres Family Vineyard 2007 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Don Miguel Vineyard La Masia Torres Family Vineyards 2009 Orogeny Pinot Noir Green Valley  2010 Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Windsor Oaks Vineyard 2009 Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Elsbree Vineyard 2009 Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Reserve 2008 Scherrer Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Platt Vineyard 2009 Segue Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sinigiani Vineyard 2009 Small Vines Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 W.H. Smith Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Maritime 2010 Angeline Russian River Valley  2010 Arista Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Toboni Vineyard 2010 Barnett Vineyards Pinot Noir Green Valley Tina Marie Vineyard 2009 Benovia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley La Pommeraie 2010 Chasseur Pinot Noir Sonoma County  2007 Clouds Rest Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  2010 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 DeLoach Pinot Noir Russian River Valley O.F.S 2009 DeLoach Pinot Noir Green Valley  2009 Donum Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Reserve 2008 Donum Pinot Noir Carneros  2009 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Dutton Ranch 2009 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Dutton Ranch Freestone Hill Vineyard 2009 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Green Valley Fox Den Vineyard 2009 Expression Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Gap's Crown Vineyard 2008 Expression Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Gap's Crown Vineyard 2009 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  2009 Freeman Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Keefer Ranch 2010 Grey Stack Pinot Noir Bennett Valley Cuvee 2009 Grey Stack Pinot Noir Bennett Valley The Fisherman Four Brothers Vineyard 2008 Halleck Vineyard Pinot Noir Russian River Valley The Farm Vineyards 2009 J Vineyards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2008 Joseph Swan Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Saralee's Vineyard 2010 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  2010 La Crema Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2010 Longboard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Flying Rooster Vineyard 2008 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Don Miguel Vineyard Stony Block Torres Family Vineyards 2008 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Don Miguel Vineyard Earthquake Block Torres Family Vineyards 2008 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Don Miguel Vineyard La Masia Torres Family Vineyard 2010 Martin Ray Russian River Valley  2010 Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Bluffs 2010 Red Car Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Box Car 2009 Red Car Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Heaven & Earth Bohemian Station 2010 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2007 Scherrer Pinot Noir Sonoma County  2008 Semper Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Ellenbach Vineyard 2009 Skewis Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Montgomery Vineyard 2009 Small Vines Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Baranoff Vineyard 2010 Sojourn Cellars Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Sangiacomo Vineyard 2010 Sojourn Cellars Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Wohler Vineyard 2009 W.H. Smith Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Hellenthal Vineyard 2009 W.H. Smith Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Marimar Estate Vineyard 2009 32 Winds Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Hirsch Vineyard 2010 Arista Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Two Birds Vineyard 2009 Armida Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley Durell Vineyard 2009 B.R. Cohn Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Stiling Vineyard 2010 Harrington Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 La Follette Pinot Noir Sonoma Mountain Van Der Kamp Vineyard 2008 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Dona Margarita Vineyard Chico's Run Torres Family Vineyards 2010 Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Riviera 2010 Red Car Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  2009 Sequana Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 Sequana Pinot Noir Green Valley Sundawg Ridge Vineyard 2010 Sojourn Cellars Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Rodgers Creek Vineyard 2009 DeLoach Pinot Noir Sonoma Mountain Van Der Kamp Vineyard 2009 Drew Family Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast McDougall Ranch Vineyard 2007 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Dona Margarita Vineyard Mas Cavalls Torres Family Vineyards 2008 Moshin Pinot Noir Sonoma County Molinari Vineyard 2010 Sebastiani Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  2010 Seghesio Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Costiera 2009 Skewis Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Salzgeber-Chan Vineyard 2010 Zepaltas Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast La Cruz Vineyard 2008 Amphora Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2010 Kenwood Pinot Noir Russian River Valley  2009 Kokomo Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Winemaker's Reserve Peters Vineyard 2009 Moshin Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Family Reserve Estate 2009 Moshin Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Bacigalupi Vineyard