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2007 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/9/2010)
Fairly dark color for a pinot - dark ruby to purple. On the nose, medium dark fruits, oak, a bit of herbalness. Initially on the palate this shows a fair amount of creamy vanillin oak, which comes more into balance after some air time. The midpalate shows nice juicy cherry, pomegranate and cranberry flavors - the acidity here extends the finish and leaves you wanting more. This definitely has some characteristics in common with the Rhys Alesia Sonoma Coast 07 that I had recently, but this one lacks the stemminess of that bottling, and this one is more enjoyable overall (although it may be unfair to compare this single vineyard wine to Rhys’ appellation blend). Tasted over four days, this was good to the last drop - not overripe, this was a nice expression of pinot that I regard as uniquely Californian (not trying to be Burgundy, but not stewed and syrupy like many over-the-top CA pinots). The oak is still a shade more present than I’d like it to be on day 4, obscuring the clarity of the fruit right now, but this is still early for this wine, I will hold my remaining bottle for 2 years if I can. Very well done and enjoyable though; this was opened this early to help me decide whether to order some R-M pinots on the next release, and my answer is a resounding yes. Together with the impressive showing of its cabs lately, Rivers-Marie may be quickly becoming my favorite overall in California. 91+, may gain a few points as the oak moderates. (91 pts.)
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