Has anyone had a chance to try something from Senses Wines?
TRB is the winemaker. Estate fruit from Thieriot Vineyard. Sounds promising.
Thanks, Tom
Thanks for the heads up, Tom
I tasted the first Senses releases at this summer’s West of West tasting in Sebastopol:
West of West Wine Festival – 4th Annual Grand Tasting
Some promising wines from their initial release, particularly the Sonoma Coast Pinot.
Senses 2012 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast. Sourced from two vineyards, fermented in 100% new oak puncheons and aged in 90% neutral oak, with extended lees contact. Very light straw color, this displayed aromas of higher-toned apple and pear fruit plus herbs and lees. Medium-bodied with good acidity and a smooth finish.
Senses 2012 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. Sourced from Hillcrest Vineyard (115, 828, Swan, and Calera clones) and Tanuda Ridge Vineyard (115 and Swan clones). Medium-light ruby color, with savory/herbal aromas upfront along with black cherry, earth, and a touch of baking spice. Medium-bodied with a lively texture and a chalky mineral note on the finish, nice.
2012 Pinot Noir, Hillcrest Vineyard, Sonoma Coast. A non-commercial wine from a single neutral barrel of Swan clone Pinot. Medium-light garnet color, with black cherry fruit and lots of spice on the nose. Medium weight on the palate, this finished with moderate tannins.
Comments: Senses is a new project from three longtime friends Chris Strieter, Max Thieriot, and Myles Lawrence-Briggs. The parents of Max and Myles are owners of noted Occidental-area vineyards – B.A. Thieriot Vineyard and Hillcrest Estate Vineyard respectively. Nearby Tanuda Ridge Vineyard is also a fruit source. Noted vintner Thomas Rivers Brown makes the Senses wines. Myles, Max, and Max’s wife Lexi were behind the table at the event, and poured a sample of a non-commercial wine they’d made in addition to their inaugural Senses releases.
Lexi Thieriot, Myles Lawrence-Briggs, and Max Thieriot of Senses
I believe the the 2012 vintages of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were made by Red Car winemaker Carroll Kemp.
Hi All:
This is my first time posting here so wanted to say thanks for all your kind words and looking forward to staying in touch. I co-founded Senses with two childhood friends, Max Thieriot and Myles Lawrence-Briggs and we work closely with Thomas Rivers Brown and team to produce small batches of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Saw that there have been a few questions/notes so wanted to clarify things where I can:
This is true. We worked with Carroll Kemp for the 2012 vintage and then partnered with Thomas for 2013 and beyond. We’ve learned a lot about winemaking and vineyard management since beginning this project and we are proud of the direction we have moved in. We have always kept the original Pinot Noir vineyards under management but dropped the primary component of our 2012 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, which we found didn’t match our expectations taste and quality wise.
See you on other boards!
Chris
Co-founder, Senses Wines
Sonoma Coast
Welcome Chris!
Thanks, Steve! Looking forward to checking out the forums and talking with everyone. Cheers