Peay release party

Purity and sunlight. Restrained ripeness and excellent acidity. My impression here was far better than my first impression.

• 2013 Cep Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé Hopkins Ranch 85 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  100% pinot. Not a saignee.
  Aromatic with fresh strawberries, slight phenolic texture and a hint of petillance. Fresh and bright.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Peay Vineyards Viognier Estate 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Exuberantly floral, terpenic nose of sweet peaches with a hint of syrup. Surprisingly fresh on the palate - moderate alcohol, elevated acidity (and it seems like it’s gone through malo), and almost none of the phenolic bitterness one would expect from Viognier. My favorite CA Viognier I’ve tasted so far.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Cep Vineyards Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Attractive nose of cool citrusy fruit with a hint of lemon buttercream (very modest impression of new oak?). Moderate alcohol, slight savoriness, lovely acidity.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Peay Vineyards Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  A tensile Chard with a unique fruit character that I can only try to describe as “iced tangerine” Slight lemon cream (just a lacing of new oak), and great acidity. Modest alcohol (13.2%). This reminds me of Aubert de Villaine’s Bouzeron (Aligote), though slightly richer. slight oak great acid.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 Peay Vineyards Chardonnay Estate 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  This shows a bit of development and a hint of herbaceousness. Cool iced cucumber with tangerine. Savory-sweet development. Slight hazelnut tinge. Like the ’14 Sonoma coast, modest ripeness, modest alcohol, excellent acidity.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Cep Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 86 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  A distinctive shade of fruit that I’ll try to describe as cool cherry, floral plum, tending towards ripe peach. Light body with strong acidity.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Floral and black cherries. Sweet cool fruit. Judicious oak. 30%. Lacing of sweetness from oak. Slight ripe peach. Very cool fruit. Great acid. Long.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Light ruby in the glass with a touch of garnet at the rim.
  Slightly browning, bruised black cherries.
  It calls to mind earth kissed by sun. There’s clarity of fruit with a nice savory touch. The fruit speaks of cool climate with slight peach on the palate.
  Tart with persistent acid.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Peay Vineyards Syrah Estate 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  (Before they started making two different Syrah cuvees).
  This is fantastic! Medium ruby with savory sweet jamon iberico, integrated with sweet red cherry. Ripe and floral. There’s a lot of tertiary development too - savory sweet carrot. Slight figginess (it’s extremely developed). No notable white pepper for me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Pomarium Estate 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Ripe black cherry with cool, peachy fruit character - really speaks of lower ripeness. A satisfying touch of tannic structure. Still young and squeaky, but I like where this is right now.
  
  The winemakers’ characterization of the three:
  Pomarium — black cherry smoked ham (pinot)
  Savoy — black tea (pinot)
  Les Titans — dark fruited syrah

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Peay’s style is starting to make sense to me - it’s all about a particular fruit condition that speaks of cool climate, restrained ripeness. The nose is perfumed with slight sandalwood florals (an accent of oak), ripe cherry, with orange and peach notes.
  
  The winemakers’ characterization of the three:
  Pomarium — black cherry smoked ham (pinot)
  Savoy — black tea (pinot)
  Les Titans — dark fruited syrah

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Peay Vineyards Syrah Les Titans 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  In the glass, medium plus concentration, ruby-purple.
  Aromatic nose of fine, lean, jamon iberico, floral white pepper, dried flowers, tart cherry.
  In the mouth, light and tart, almost like a Pinot in structure.
  Medium tannins. I like this! It really shows the herbaceous and floral side of Syrah, but with less chewiness and density than the Arnot-Roberts QSS.
  
  The winemakers’ characterization of the three:
  Pomarium — black cherry smoked ham (pinot)
  Savoy — black tea (pinot)
  Les Titans — dark fruited syrah

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue