I was first introduced to the Freestone line during a tasting at Phelps in around 2010 and thought the wines were pretty solid. I seem to recall picking up two or three bottles of this for around $30 each. This bottle was consumed during a dinner with some friends of the family.
Ordinary Cali Pinot coloration, garnet-purple of medium depth. Fresh red-fruited and very Pinot nose with a touch of rhubarb. Matched on the palate by raspberry, pomegranate and a hint of rhubarb with very nice notes of what my Finnish buddy Otto calls “pinosity” - that tangy, not-quite-stemmy, not-quite vegetal thing that Pinot should have. Medium-plus acidity with no shrillness, resolving tannins but still a bit of gentle, fine-grained grip. Excellent, harmoniously integrated balance with quite correct Sonoma Coast terroir and character. Clean, medium length, tasteful finish echoing what has come before. Nitpickers would subtract points for a lack of flash and explosiveness, but eh, whatever.
For whatever reason other than me being strange, this wine puts me in mind of an early 90s Lexus LS400. Absolutely flawless execution but not at all flashy, doing absolutely everything it’s supposed to in highly competent, reliable, unassuming fashion. In U.S. Army General terms, think Marshall, not Patton. Personally, I loved it and enjoyed every single drop. Not a wine for points and tastings, but a super choice for drinking and enjoying.