Sorry, I haven’t tried the 2018 yet. I don’t know for sure about alcohol levels, but IIRC all of their Pinots have similar levels. Cheers!
Any thoughts on Wayfarer?
I buy Fort Ross from that area sometimes.
There 14 Sea Smoke Pinot was one of the best Pinots I have ever had for under $20.
Any thoughts one wines that are similar to the Phelps Quarter Moon/Freestone Pinots? My wife loved the QM we opened recently. Seems like a much more fruit forward style even though they said that they were trying to go after a Burgundy Style wine to me…
Hi Joey, I am long on Wayfarer. I bought a number of their Svd based on research. Hoping for the best and hoping that Jayson had a hand in setting up the winemaking there. There was some turnover in the winemaker so we will have to see. I need to wait a few years to try what I have. If I open one soon, I post back. I did get a couple aged so I can try. One thing I have noticed with all pinots, vintage matters and 2017 and 2018 were slightly different.
Mike, can you share what your wife liked about QM? it didn’t feel it’s that fruit forward. It is typical Cali Pinot. Slight hot and a bit of fruit on initial opening. I feel like QM is a medium alcohol at over 14, maybe around 14.1 to 14.4 and significant stem inclusion. For significant stem inclusion you may want to look into Failla, Flowers, Rivers Marie, Pisoni, Rucholi. Also perhaps Russian River pinots. Peay maybe Scallops Shelf and Sojourn Sangiacomo. Personally like Peay and Sojourn. Style wise Rivers Marie maybe similar to JP since they both hold up well over time, not per se the winemaking style. You open them and they have good bones/structure so that you can taste then a week or two later and it’s still good. Peay is like that as well. A couple of the others listed are good for a day, but not not more. Aka are not meant to be agers.
Agreed it has a lot of the Cali characteristics but I did get more fruit notes up front than say Ceritas (which we have been drinking a lot of and I’m a huge fan of). Could be the alcohol content and stems, that is a good point. I was leaning to RM so I think that will be our next buy, skipped out on this release after getting an allocation, probably should have bought them! Guess I’ll seek them out on secondary to try. Will definitely look into trying some of those you mentioned, thanks for the recs!
I don’t know about now, but in a blind tasting I pegged an ‘08 Freestone as a burg and died on that hill; it was spectacular, I was as stunned by the producer (obviously known as a cab guy) as I was the country.
You nailed it for me as I’m a big fan of Coastlands since the early 90s when Burt Williams made vineyard designates and also blended in their fruit with others to make his Sonoma Coast.
Obviously, Hirsch is another one of Burt`s gems and he in turn, shared this source with Chris Whitcraft of Whitcraft Winery who also made some super fine Pinots and even a tremendous sparkling rose.
Yes, I’m also a fan of Littorai and Peay, so thanks for this post and for the wonderful reminder of so many stellar wines I’ve enjoyed over the years.
I have two of the '09 Phelps Freestone left. It was not a wine I liked. Not even sure who to give it to.
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I recently enjoyed a bottle of 2014 LaRue Rice Spivak PN with my wife. Similar style to Cobb PN. I was supposed to meet with them at the end of March but that trip was cancelled. Hoping to reschedule that trip in the fall and maybe get a taste the Coastlands PN.
It’s interesting that Cobb is mentioned a few times in this thread in that Ross worked for Burt for a period of time and when I visited him at his Anderson Valley ranch home, we met Ross while out for breakfast one morning and Burt told me afterwards that he was a super nice guy and making some good wines.
Now that Burt has passed, I find that I’m seeking out some of the producers who mentored under him to sample their Pinots. Obviously, his daughter and dear friend Margi, Brogan Cellars, is one. Woodenhead is another, made by Nikolai Stez who also worked in the winery for many years and who I partied with also during a few visits to AV, especially during the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival. I`ve been exchanging emails and phone message with Nik and hope to obtain a few of his wines soon.
So, I’m looking for wines, Pinots, from these sources and if anyone has some leads, please let me know.
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Bump. I’m really impressed with the quality I have tasted from Occidental and Wayfarer. Prices are getting higher and higher, but where is that not the case these days?
Seems like the holy grail pathway to get intense fruit without weight here in the U.S. Pretty excited about the next 10 years as newer plantings get some more vine age under their belt.
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