Wine Article
2018 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Last edited on 1/22/2020 by PSUSteve
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From release
As Riddle Vineyard goes, so goes this wine. With maturity this site has taken on a lot more density at much lower brix levels. Not only do we feel that provides a more accurate snapshot of Sonoma Coast but it also reflects the general development of the region. It wasn’t that long ago that every wine felt like it featured new vines freshly cultivated and variable in quality due to the challenges the coast provides. Now we feel we are routinely dealing with 15, 20, and 30 year old vineyards, young by old world standards of course, but stable and mature in this area. Riddle is a perfect example of this maturation. The wine is more concentrated without being heavy or tiresome. The fruit profile is varied, running from red to purple to black with an intense perfume that in younger years had to be pulled out with bottle age. In this vintage, tannins are abundant but ripe and round helped by small additions of most of the single vineyards.
As Riddle Vineyard goes, so goes this wine. With maturity this site has taken on a lot more density at much lower brix levels. Not only do we feel that provides a more accurate snapshot of Sonoma Coast but it also reflects the general development of the region. It wasn’t that long ago that every wine felt like it featured new vines freshly cultivated and variable in quality due to the challenges the coast provides. Now we feel we are routinely dealing with 15, 20, and 30 year old vineyards, young by old world standards of course, but stable and mature in this area. Riddle is a perfect example of this maturation. The wine is more concentrated without being heavy or tiresome. The fruit profile is varied, running from red to purple to black with an intense perfume that in younger years had to be pulled out with bottle age. In this vintage, tannins are abundant but ripe and round helped by small additions of most of the single vineyards.