15 months ago I had started planning my Spring 2020 Italy plan. As the story goes, you know where it goes. Today myself and my daughter were planning on having dinner in Modena after a tour or Bologna. Our homebase was Rome, hence the coliseum in the picture. We will get there and it will be even more spectacular but meanwhile the World will have to recover. I raise this glass to all of my Paisans.
2018 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (4/2/2020)
Just received and I just HAD to try it. Glad I did. it’s amazing. Probably the single best SC bottling from RM I have ever had, and I go back 11 years or so.
Dark for sure, the nose shows brambly crunchy red fruits which are spectacular on this today. Palate yields some super balance and poise for such a young wine, it defies what I thought I knew about youthful Pinot from Sonoma Coast, or anywhere actually. An interplay of bright red and blue fruits with cranberries, soft red currants and lemon peel, which I am a tremendous fan of. The story about this is its weightlessness and ability to float; no singular edge, no hair out of place, no nothing, this is just pure joy. This shows a true progression from its onstart and a more serious less flamboyant wine has emerged after all these years. Long and precise and true to itself; acidity spot-on, and this is the real deal they bellies its price point by 2x, maybe 3. If this is So good, I can only imagine how the Vineyard Designates show. Wow (95 pts.)
I agree with Mike, the humble SC is quasi spectacular. I also tasted the Bearwallow, which is not quite as precocious as the SC, but is destined for great things.
Like Mike I too popped one a few days ago. While I don’t quite rate it so highly, I agree with the overall description. This is a very very good example of far west Sonoma Pinot, at any price. The fact that it was $30 is icing. To my palate its only real weakness is a certain heaviness in the mid palate. It’s still very good - acid and structure balance out this bit of jam. I also like that it is so clearly a wine of its place. You would never mistake this for a Pinot from Burgundy, or Oregon, or even the Russian River. I love it for that. I have one more that I doubt will survive the year. I will hold the SVDs though.
Nice note…trying to spread the love around…I bought only Occidental, Platt, and Old Vine Summa. Stoked to see if the quality from Sonoma Coast follows through.
I have drank 3 bottles so far of SC. 2 the day the box arrived. Remaining 6 will be gone by end of May…maybe April…stupid Covid. Oh and a SC Chard.
2018 vintage preview! This is only the beginning of a year filled with killer wines.
My note from January, I wasn’t quite as effusive aa Mike but I enjoyed it a bunch:
2018 Rivers Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - As advertised, give this a few hours of air then plow through it. Dark garnet, pine needles this year are from fir trees as this has the nose of a Christmas tree pushing through the fruit. Really tasty from start to finish.
And…
2018 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (3/24/2020)
Fresh off the UPS truck, been open about 2hrs. Black raspberry, blood orange and some Sonoma Coast funkiness. Nice texture, lip smackingly bright and edgy. Have about 4oz left that I’ll save for tomorrow to see if it tones down a notch and softens the bitter tannin streak on the finish. Tangy dark cherry lingers on. Real tasty.
Digging into the bottle from yesterday and I’d say this is a drink it all on day 1 wine. Not showing much on Day 2 as it has simmered down and not showing much.
I did the Summa OV a few nights ago, absolutely redonk…
The SC Chard is ridiculous too, opened one last night and just about to pour the last glass.
…
Does anyone else feel like TRB has been making the best wines of his career over the past 5-6 years?? And considering how amazing the vast majority of his wines have always been, I feel somewhat embarrassed to even pose such a question…but man alive, he’s just been killing it!!
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