2011 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Gioia Vineyard Sonoma Coast

(from a very steep south-facing vineyard in a very cool site between Summa and Occidental): Pale medium red. Sexy high-toned aromas of raspberry, strawberry, roasted meat, flowers and minerals. Broad, ripe and quite dry, with very good intensity and a fine-grained texture to its red fruit flavors. Finishes with a light touch.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Gioia Vineyard is one of the more immediate wines in the range. It has some of the brambly qualities found in the Summa, but with more fruit, the result of the warmer micro-climate in this parcel. Today my impression is that the 2011 is best enjoyed sooner rather than later, as the fruit will likely start dropping out after a few years, but it is quite pretty today. Licorice, savory herbs, mint and anise are some of the aromas and flavor that add complexity on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2021. Rivers-Marie stands out for many reasons, not the least of which is the exceedingly fair prices set by owners Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh. Like all of his colleagues, Brown struggled to achieve normal levels of ripeness in 2011. The crop set was poor, and there was no heat to speak of the entire year. The Pinots were harvested in October, exceedingly late by Pinot standards. Yields came in at a tiny. 75 to 1 ton per acre. As for the wines, they are quite pretty, if naturally a bit more slender than normal. Tel. (707) 341-3127