December 7, 2020 - Fantastic wine, elegant, and balanced. Loads of spices (cola and pepper) pair perfectly with cranberry and cherry fruit.
April 2, 2020 - Clear and bright. Medium ruby color. Pale but not faded at rim. Explosive aromas of cherry cola. Fruit forward on the palate, with breadth and depth in the mouth. Flavors of cherry cola, pomegranate and undertones of maple and bacon. Persistent and long. Really gorgeous. At peak, exemplifying what's possible from the Sonoma Coast. Sourced from the winery.
Editorial: This is really a standout effort. Who would have imagined a Sonoma Coast Pinot made in 2010 going a decade so gracefully? Lots of heralded producers make good wines from this area, but even among that group Peay stands tall. Peay's aging recommendations and tasting notes (https://www.peayvineyards.com/wines/aging-recommendations) for this wine advise "Drink/Hold to 2020. Yummy." Cheers to that.
May 18, 2019 - A taste courtesy of D&L. Soft ruby red color with notes of cherry, dust and red berry that follow through on the palate. Medium bodied with good supporting acidity. A very food-friendly wine. In a pretty good place right now too.
May 3, 2019 - A fine showing, many magnitudes better than my last of these nearly 8 years ago, when I found the wine lightweight and simple. Delicious cherry and floral/spice flavor notes, perfumed, subtle and balanced. Blew away a disappointing Sea Smoke Southing consumed alongside it.
February 12, 2018 - Bright red. Great balance. Strawberry and raspberry with subtle spice and smoke in background.
June 6, 2017 - Prior bottle was just about seven months ago and not only does this wine continue to show quite well, it was noticeably better than the 2009 from yesterday. Red cherry, floral and vanilla notes on the nose. Medium bodied with bright red cherry upfront, deepening nicely through the middle and then adding lighter strawberry and mildly tart red cherry before rounding into the finish with a mixture of vanilla, acidity and some dark fruit notes. The finish has come together as I'd hoped and the wine presents as slightly more integrated than previously. Has the fruit and structure to improve just a touch more over the next six months or so, but I'd drink over the next 18 months. Similar to the 2009, it can last beyond that, but the drinking window will be the most rewarding over the next year.
December 30, 2016 - Similar to my previous bottle of this wine. Bright flavors of cherry and strawberry. This time it held up well on the second day.
November 11, 2016 - Red cherry, floral and vanilla on the nose. Medium bodied and 13.8% ABV. Upfront, much more redfruit based than the 2009, showing soft red cherry and strawberry. Deepens nicely through the middle and develops a real sense of balance by adding some blackfruit notes notes and then tart cranberry and cherry notes on the finish. Nice finishing structure and length. Overall, I felt this was a bit more complete than the 2009 right now, roughly comparable in terms of complexity, but the 2010 showed better structure and overall integration. Should improve just a bit more as I think the oak and overall structure will blend even better with the fruit in another 6-12 months.
June 23, 2016 - Two hour decant in bottle, bright flavors of strawberry and cherry with a nice balance of acidity. Second day it went down hill and was alcoholy and not as enjoyable, probably a drop off to an 88. The moral to the story is to drink this one on the first day, if possible.
October 18, 2015 - Really delicious pinot. Lots of acid to balance food, cherry and red fruits.