Decanter's US editor Clive Pursehouse presents a first look at the 2022 wines from the Sonoma Coast.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for all 79 wines tasted.
Wines are listed in score order.
| Producer | Appellation | Vintage | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAEN Winery, Royal St. Robert Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 97 | Raen uses all whole clusters across the red wines. The smoky aromatics and pungent floral aromas of this wine are about the micro floral of the vineyard. All native yeasts, unfiltered and unfined, with 10% new oak, crushed violets and stone, andsmoky clove aromas. Dark fruits that dance lightly across the tongue. Black tea, and pomegranate pulp are brighten by a squeeze of blood orange. The finish is lifted by white pepper and Chinese five spice. Seafield and Bodega vineyards comprise this wine dedicated to Robert Mondavi. (Tasted from bottle 15225.) Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, Richardson Ranch Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 97 | Tasted as an unracked barrel sample, 2022 is the first year that Ted has designated a Richardson Ranch Pinot Noir, which has often gone into the Sonoma Coast blend. The site was planted in 2012 and is 100% Pinot Noir. This Pinot Noir is delicate and pleasing, with bright red fruits and a savoury backbone. Its herbaceous character frames ripe blackberries and figs, loads of fruit and earth, and deep mineral elements that are lithe yet intense. Click to see full details | |
| Peay Vineyards, Maritima Estate Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 97 | A stunning coastal Chardonnay, the Maritima Estate is a new nomenclature for the Estate Chardonnay. It is evocative of the Amalfi coast, Sicilian lemons, salty air, and white flowers. The palate balances all the generosity of juicy lemons with a tingly mineral character. Gorgeous lemon grilled, fresh mint, and mouthfuls of minerality, crushed slate with stone smoky flint. Click to see full details | |
| Peay Vineyards, Pinot Noir | West Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 97 | The West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Peay is comprised of 81% Estate fruit. The rest comes from their neighbour, Richardson Vineyard, who grow fruit for some of the Peay wines and loan the Peays their sheep to manage weed management. The wine is extraordinary, given its youth. An earthen depth predominates the aromas, with candied red fruits and rose petals. The palate is lush and gorgeously textured with fleshy red fruits set against savoury clove and a concentrated minerality of crushed stone. Finishing with beguiling notes of wild anise and green tea leaf. An outstanding appellation bottling. Click to see full details | |
| Peay Vineyards, Scallop Shelf Estate Pinot Noir | West Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 97 | Scallop Shelf is an estate cuvée assembled by winemaker Vanessa Wong. The driver for the wine is the Pommard clone selection (typically 60%). The 2022 vintage is lushly fruited blue and red fruits and clove spice. 2022 was an excellent vintage pushed by a severe heat spike in September around Labor Day. The Scallop Shelf was picked at the front end of the heat spike and Andy Peay feels there is a fullness of fruit expression. This wine shows a touch more heft, but the acids didn't drop, allowing the wine to retain an elegant florality. Smoky spice aromas lift red and blue fruits. The palate's fleshy cherry fruits don't mute the wine's elegance or linearity as blood orange zest and Chinese five spice lift the fruit into ethereal heights of savoury spice. Click to see full details | |
| RAEN Winery, Freestone Occidental, Bodega Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | Bodega is a hillside monopole vineyard just a few kilometres from the cool ocean, facing Bodega Bay between Freestone and Occidental villages. Morning fog from the coast engulfs the vineyard; a tiny parcel of less than 2 acres is dedicated to this bottling. Bodega is the oldest metre by-metre planting on the Sonoma Coast. It has pungent floral aromas, turned earth notes, ripe blue bramble fruits, white pepper spice, and clove. The palate balances elegance with a feral streak. Forest flavours of damp pine needles and streaks of crushed graphite envelope a ripe core of blue huckleberries and red raspberries. Delicious, with ample structure and brilliant lift. (Tasted from bottle 05265.) Click to see full details | |
| RAEN Winery, Lady Marjorie Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | 2022 was tough yield-wise; with a touch of rainfall at the end of Spring, bunch size was reduced. They picked almost all of the Chardonnay before the 22 heat wave. Lady Marjorie is a whole bunch pressed with a reductive character, creating a smoky marshmallow note on the nose. This vineyard is an own-rooted site which has been hit with phylloxera. The aromas show ample minerality, flinty grilled lime and white flowers. The palate is a marriage of honeyed apricot richness with great notes of briny seafoam, crushed slate and hints of bright lemon zest and white pepper. They Pick early (and to pH) to capture freshness, using no battonage. This Chardonnay was a whole cluster pressed and fermented in a concrete egg. This wine is dedicated to Dante and Carlo's grandmother, the family matriarch who never received the credit she deserved. (Tasted from bottle 06205.) Click to see full details | |
| Peay Vineyards, Chardonnay | West Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | A broader appellation, Chardonnay from the West Sonoma Coast. 20% of this comes from Richardson Ranch, and the rest is estate fruit. Aromatics evoke saline seaspray, generous lemon curd, and hints of cardamom with a laser minerality. This wine is made with the two hectares picked and fermented separately—crystalline brilliance with notes of grilled lemon peel, tangerine, and perfectly paired oak spice. Click to see full details | |
| Peay Vineyards, Ama Estate Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | Ama means ‘the land’ in the Cashia language, and the wines of Peay are focused on communicating place and showing site; this wine is about the mid-palate for Peay winemaker Vanessa Wong. The Ama bottling came on in 2009 from 4 different clones but focused on two. This wine is about the generosity and intensity of pure fruit. gaomas of berries and red plums are accented by warm spice. The palate of the 2022 is exceptional, with concentrated wild strawberries, pomegranate pulp, cherry skins, tart Montmorency cherry, and a touch of iron. Click to see full details | |
| Hirsch Vineyards, Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | Consultant Michael Cruse makes this Chardonnay for Hirsch, and winemaker Jasmine Hirsch thinks his sparkling wine chops really show up in this wine. Hirsch has two Chardonnay plantings, including 30 year old vines which offer the textured, exotic, fleshy,honeysuckle character in this wine. Over vintage on clean lees, in 2022 we bottled it early, ginger, and lemon cream, a creamy lemon curd, almond cream, saline character that brightens up the whole affair with singing minerality. Click to see full details | |
| Ernest Vineyards, Estate Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | Pungent aromatics of earth, charred violet and tangy blackberry, the bay laurels, wild carrots and pennyroyal along the Bohemian Highway lend their wild aromatics to the Ernest Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir. The acids stay high in this foggy region. Still, the phenolic ripening at the late-ripening Michael Valentine site in the Russian River region gives this wine a serious layering and complexity of flavours. The aromas are of rose petals, charred orange peel, and tart red fruits, which are brightened by savoury rose hips. The palate is silken and intense. Red and blue berries make way for savoury dried herbs and wild anise. Intense and fruit-driven while remaining elegant. Click to see full details | |
| Small Vines, TBH Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | A gorgeously lean and complex Pinot Noir from heritage clones in the region, Calera and Swann clones take centre stage. TBH is the Barlow Homestead, with nutrient-poor soils that result in tiny vines, berries and yields. This site sees more whole cluster fermentation than the other Small Vine vineyards. It slows down the fermentation process and lower elevation along a ridgeline, this site gets plenty of fog, which helps retain acidity in the berries. The tannin structure helps this wine communicate a real ageability in the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Wayfarer, Mother Rock Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | A blend of Mt Eden and Dijon 777 clones, two blocks are co-fermented, and this section of the vineyard also has the shallowest soils. The vines have gotten into the bedrock in this section of the vineyard, communicating that in this wine's ample minerality. Rich berries and singed violets mark the aromatics with a hint of gravelly mineral lift. The palate has a feral character; sauvage elements of earth and forest are intertwined with dark berries and wild spearmint. The finish is marked by umami notes, and smoky sea salt minerality gleans throughout. Click to see full details | |
| Wayfarer, Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | This is a display of coastal opulence. An outstanding Chardonnay bottling from Wayfarer's Fort-Ross Seaview estate vineyard. A selection of three different clones, this wine ferments with gross lees for about 15 months in oak. 100% malolactic fermentation, 52% new oak, you get a sense of the cool growing season and the ripeness achieved towards harvest. Rich, honeyed ginger aromas, beeswax and salty sea air communicate a cool minerality. The palate is intensely fruited, with grilled pineapple, smoky grilled lemon and honeyed ginger depth. Mineral salinity and smoky stone elements frame it all in a gorgeous structure and long-lasting finish.—a remarkable Chardonnay. Click to see full details | |
| Failla, Platt Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 96 | This is a complex Chardonnay from the Platt Vineyard, just 7km from the Pacific Ocean in the western hills of Sebastopol. Its glinting brightness is mixed with a core of stone fruit aromas, brilliant minerality, and dried herbs. The honeyed peach richness on the aromas is lifted by zesty lime. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | This was tasted as an unracked barrel sample. The Pivot is evolved and showing wonderfully from the barrel. Sweet raspberry fruits and elegant fresh mint interplay in the aromatics. It is gorgeously textured on the palate with sweet, ripe strawberries, hints of pine sap, and seaspray salinity. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | A 2022 barrel sample of Littorai's Hirsch bottling. The 2022 retains the dark earth notes with turned garden soil and damp pine needles. The palate is a touch showy, with smashed fresh strawberries and mint, white tea notes and saline seaspray. The finish is long and beguiling. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, The Haven Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | This is a very evolved 2022 barrel sample from Littorai's The Haven. It shows tons of structure and great mint and berry flavours on the palate. While it doesn't have the density of the 21, it has ample character. The Haven Vineyard was Littorai's original estate site. It was planted in 2000 on south-facing slopes at 400m, making it among the highest vineyards in the West Sonoma Coast south of the river. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, Charles Heintz Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | Tasted as an unracked barrel sample. The young 22 Charles Heintz Chardonnay is equal to the Heintz from a year before, showing the richness and elegance of the site and Ted's approach to winemaking. Ample wildflowers and notes of citrus and stone mark the aromas. Striking brilliance in its balance, the palate is a mixture of concentrated and juicy lemon pulp, seaspray, and lemon verbena. Lemon oil adds rich depth that's brightened by a briny character. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, B A Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | Tasted as a barrel sample, the young 2022 shows loads of saline sea air, crushed white stones, and a zesty kiss of lemon peel. Freshness and elegance dance across the palate, with juicy Meyer lemon pulp and a limestone mineral streak brightened by notes of lemon leaf and sea air. Click to see full details | |
| Marine Layer Wines, Marine Layer Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | The Marine Layer vineyard is planted to clones of Calera, Mt. Eden, 667, 115, and a few special suitcase selections. Aromas of spicy black plums, rose hips and a note of dried violets. The palate offers freshly smashed strawberries, minerality followed by cloves and smoky blue fruits. A kiss of fresh mint muddled, spicy berries and black tea leaves carry this showy wine to its conclusion. Click to see full details | |
| RAEN Winery, Charles Ranch Chardonnay | Fort Ross-Seaview | 2022 | 95 | The Charles Ranch site is at 400m and very close to the estate Sea Field vineyard. These pre-phylloxera vines were planted over 40 years ago and represent some of the oldest chardonnay plantings on the Sonoma Coast. This Chardonnay balances freshness in its airy aromas with richness on the palate. Floral aromas buoy cut apple and beeswax depth and bright saline freshness. There is so much verve and energy on the palate. Salinity and crushed stone march alongside petrichor and cardamom spice. There's excellent smoky citrus brilliance and savoury, smoky grilled lemon peel. ( Tasted from bottle 01470.) Click to see full details | |
| Peay Vineyards, Pomarium Estate Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | Pomarium is Latin for apple orchard. The Peay estate is a 140-year-old apple orchard on the far West Sonoma Coast. The 2022 vintage of Pomarium is showy with more blue fruit than the 2021. It is a touch fleshier and full, with intense black fruits and a deep, turned-earth character. The Labor Day heat created a bit more fruit intensity in the skins, and it is a pure expression of the year. Click to see full details | |
| Senses, BA Theriot Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | This is a riper take on BA Theriot than Ted Lemon crafts at Littorai, but the undeniable character of the site shines through. Glorious and concentrated lemon oil aromas leap from the glass, followed by crushed slate and seaspray salinity. The palate balances rich texture with juicy Meyer lemon pulp and fleshy grilled pineapple, lifted by a complementary cardamom spice, and mineral petrichor finishes the wine elegantly. Click to see full details | |
| Hirsch Vineyards, Rosé of Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | This is possibly the best rosé in the US. 2022 is the third vintage, harvested at close to full ripeness, 100% destemmed, the Pinot sits overnight on skins and then it goes directly to barrel ( 25-30% new oak) and is held over vintage. This wine is made the same way as the Hirsch Pinot Noirs. Jasmine doesn't think Pinot Noir suits a Provencal style to rosé so they go in an entirely different direction. With candied fruits and saline aromas accented with a note of rose hips. Fully fruited, with blood orange, candied raspberry and saline minerality that delivers a depth and complexity to rosé that all too often just isn't seen. Click to see full details | |
| Ernest Vineyards, Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | The 2022 Chardonnay is a younger vine old Wente clone, and older vine clone 4, the California Chardonnay clone. Variability in cluster size and weight gives a nice texture to the Chardonnay. The "black chardonnay" technique helps the wine become ageable early, aged on fine lees, 25% new barriques, 7.5 months. A gorgeous example of Sonoma Coast Chardonnay that leans into lemon curd and leans away from a reductive style honeyed ginger spices the wine's finish just a touch. Click to see full details | |
| Ernest Vineyards, Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | This is a wonderful wine from Grand Vent, Cleary Ranch, the Michael Valentine vineyard from the Freestone Valley, and a Laguna vineyard that supplies the Swann clone. Red and black fruits are concentrated with stem inclusion, giving the wine a tremendous savoury backbone. The palate is redolent of cloves, red berries, and early-season black plums. Click to see full details | |
| Small Vines, TBH Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | Aromatics of honeyed citrus, fleshy lemon pulp, and white flowers from The Barlow Homestead or TBH vineyard. Two different Wente selections, with plenty of citrus, Meyer lemon, and a touch of smoky lime.The beeswax from the Hyde selection and loads of saline seaspray. The finish is layered with lime zest, smoky stone, and ample sea air, which lingers long on the back of the palate. Gorgeous texture and richness balance this wine's mineral core. Click to see full details | |
| Wayfarer, Golden Mean Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | The Wayfarer vineyard is planted to 10 different Pinot Noir clones in Fort Ross Seaview, all Goldridge soils. The vines are 20 years old at this point, and irrigation is used sparingly. This comes from two west-facing blocks but is a clonal bottling of Pommard and Swan clones. Pommard provides lots of texture and structure, and the Swan is low-yielding, aromatic, and elegant. It's one of the lighter-bodied Pinots from Wayfarer, with many earth-driven aromatics and red fruits—rich raspberry and strawberry fruits and dark earthen tones. There's plenty of savoury there and hints of the Pacific's saline character. Being two ridgelines in the Wayfarer wines, they have a ripeness well balanced by the wine's bright acids. Click to see full details | |
| Failla, Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 95 | A brooding character is the throughline in the Failla house style, and the Occidental Ridge Pinot Noir shows dark, smoky aromas of frankincense, singed violets and earthen elements of sous bois, rose hips and salty sea air. The palate is textured and spiced with spicy blood orange, smoky soy, hoisin sauces, black tea, and an intense minerality that lifts the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, Mays Canyon Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | Tasted as an unracked barrel sample. 2022 was a cool, consistent summer, offering a slow start to the vintage with plenty of foggy weather. Ted believes the wines are showing those markers—redolent red fruit aromatics and notes of earth and moss. The palate shows sweet blueberry fruits and red candied raspberry with less structure than 21 yet wonderfully textured with a fresh mint finish. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, The Haven Chenin Blanc | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | Littorai has made Chenin Blanc since 2013, a half acre from the Haven Vineyard; the soils have dense clay, which made Ted feel like Chenin was the right thing to plant with 4 vines of Sauvignon Blanc. Loads of bright varietal character and saline marine influence cross with tropical fruit aromas and a kiss of mint. The palate shows star fruit, fleshy Meyer lemon mix with white pepper and a note of green tea leaf. Click to see full details | |
| Marine Layer Wines, Hawk Hill Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | The Hawk Hill Vineyard Chardonnay comes from a small block of Wente and Montrachet clones. It's about two tales of the 2022 vintage on the Sonoma Coast, before and after the heat spike. The 2022 is loaded with saline minerality and moderately low yields, and the heat spike in early September pushed the winemaking a bit. This wine is about texture and depth. Dried herbs and verbena aromas, spine-tingling acidity, crushed oyster shells, and rich lemon oil depth. Click to see full details | |
| Marine Layer Wines, Marine Layer Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | The Marine Layer Vineyard Chardonnay is a melding of elegance and mineral purity. Crushed stones, oyster shells, and seaspray mark the aromas. Crafted from one block of Wente Chardonnay, the tiny berries in the Wente clone provide a lemon curd richness that hums along. This wine is fermented in French and Austrian oak puncheons, 30% new. The touch of new oak adds depth to the rich fruit core. Saline minerality lifts the wine, and there is an intense spice that carries through to the tip of the tongue. Click to see full details | |
| Marine Layer Wines, Lyra Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | Bramble fruits and wild red berries, mint and spice clove, and Jentoft, Marine Layer, with smaller pieces of Gap's Crown, comprise the entry-level Pinot Noir from Marine Layer. It carries elegance through the country fruit spice of wild strawberries and rose hip aromas. On the palate, there's a feral fruit element. Wild spicy berries are given elegance and structure through the use of 30% whole cluster. Bergamot and black tea finish the wine with a savoury lift. Click to see full details | |
| Marine Layer Wines, Dutton-Upp Rd Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | This Pinot Noir comes from Dutton-Upp Road Vineyard, planted in 2010. The 4ha vineyard is comprised of Calera and Swan clones. This wine feels riper in style for Marine Layer, with lush red and blue fruits and clove spice and white pepper aromas. The palate follows with fleshy blue and purple fruits. A richer depth of fruit marks the mouthfeel, and saline notes lift the finish from a hint of smoked sea salt. Click to see full details | |
| Three Sticks, Monarch Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | This is a blend of Sonoma County sites throughout the coastal region, the core of which is Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala. Created as a barrel selection, it's richly fruited and elegantly spiced. Aromatics of white pepper, mint, and fleshy red and black fruits, with a touch of saline minerality. The palate gives concentrated blue and tangy blackberry fruits accented by clove spices; it has a country fruit character and finishes with white and black pepper spices. Click to see full details | |
| RAEN Winery, Sea Field Pinot Noir | Fort Ross-Seaview | 2022 | 94 | The Seafield estate vineyard is located in remote pockets of Fort Ross-Seaview; this 4.8-acre monopole vineyard represents what RAEN believes is its most elegant terroir. The vineyard sits atop an ancient sea bed, dating back 200 million years, soaring high above the sea at more than 350m in elevation, just a few km from the Pacific Ocean and spicy with 1000ft and very close to the ocean. The aromatic sare gorgeously floral, as violets and dusty rose petals give way to hints of crushed strawberries, cranberries and mint. The sea-inspired minerality drives the palate forward as smoked sea salt melds with hints of pine sap and gorgeous red and black bramble fruits. The wine is framed by delicate minerality and loads of structure (Tasted from bottle 03552.) Click to see full details | |
| Peay Vineyards, Estate Viognier | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | The cooler growing conditions create a unique Viognier by American or even Rhône standards. It is a fleshy Viognier laced with smoky flint, lemon verbena, and green apple aromatics. The palate has a pulsating energy, with peach skin flavours and bright notes of crushed slate. While the minerality rules the day, plenty of lean apple and grilled lemon peel carry the wine through. Click to see full details | |
| Senses, Bodega Theriot Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | Bodega Theriot is one of Senses' estate sites. Christopher Strieter says it is one of the few West Sonoma Coast with ripe blue fruit as its signature. Aromas of candied sweet berries, rich violets, clove, and a savoury undertone of smoky herbs. 100% Calera clone Pinot Noir shows sweet smashed strawberries on the palate with concentrated kirsch flavours and a finish of Chinese five spice. Click to see full details | |
| Freeman, Ryo-Fu Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | Primarily Heintz and Dutton vineyards, Freeman picks very early, often following sparkling producers. The name means cool breeze in Japanese. The mainstream California Chardonnay was at the apex when they started making wine here. So Akiko's Burgundian approach was against the grain at the time. The style is exquisite, with floral and saline notes. The 10 months in neutral oak and full malolactic built texture and length to augment the light and bright citrus fruits with briny oyster shells. Salinity and freshness finish with nice white pepper and cardamom. Click to see full details | |
| Freeman, Hawk Hill Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | Clone 5 older plantings from 1992, apricots and honey, spiced pear and 100% neutral barrels for 10 months adds a nice creamy character Hawk Hill is a Click to see full details | |
| Small Vines, Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | From six estate properties, they either farm or own. All free run Pinot Noir, some of it short shoot fruit from their top sites. Great concentration of red and blue fruits, loads of savoury characteristics, garrigue and dried sage leaves. The palate is wonderfully elegant, with a mineral core, red and blue bramble fruits and loads of fresh wintergreen and lavender flavours. Click to see full details | |
| Small Vines , Shining S Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | It is named for the shape of the cattle brand on Paul's family's ranch. This is a lean, somewhat shy Pinot Noir upon opening, obviously built for longevity. It has sweet candied berries, wild mint, and gravelly dust that is aromatic in the background. Lean red fruits flourish on the front palate, backed by a mineral core, savoury green herbs and excellent white pepper, lifting the wine's complexity to the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Wayfarer, Paige's Ridge Pinot Noir | Fort Ross-Seaview | 2022 | 94 | This wine is bottled separately, with a California richness to it, a clonal selection of Dijon 667 richness of dark fruits, and savoury flavours; this is one of the first blocks we pick. It may be clonal; this block is eastern-facing, and the perpendicular ridge provides additional ripening. Perfumed aromatics are effusive, with smoky spices, dark berries, and dried violets. There are streaks of turned earth and a sense of the sea air that ground this wine. The palate continues with a well-balanced density of fruit, ripe bramble berries, crushed stone, and oak-driven spices coalesce in concentration. Click to see full details | |
| Wayfarer, The Estate Pinot Noir | Fort Ross-Seaview | 2022 | 94 | A single vineyard blend which includes all 10 clonal selections. Showcasing a comprehensive complexity and terroir of the site, whereas the block selections are shown separately, 2022 is more red fruited, a cool vintage until early September saw temperatures spike. The wine shows both cool and ripe markers, according to Cleo Pahlmeyer. It offers lovely red fruit, rose petal aromas, wild country strawberries, and a touch of ocean air minerality. The palate is bright, zesty and crystalline. Red raspberries, green tea leaves and a brilliant finish marked by dried anise, wild dill and sea salt. Click to see full details | |
| Failla, Estate Pinot Noir | Fort Ross-Seaview | 2022 | 94 | Intense. Failla's 2022 Estate Pinot Noir is a brooding batch of dark savoury goodness. Pine tar and orange oil aromas weave together with notes of smoky clove, dark blackberries, and a salty note of smoked sea salt. This wine needs time to unwind and show its delicacy. On the palate, dark fruits, Chinese five spice and black tea, hibiscus and grilled blood orange. There's excellent mineral depth here, and notes of iron and ember linger long on the palate. Click to see full details | |
| Flowers, Sea View Ridge Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | Delicious and delicate from Flowers Sea View Ridge site just over 3 km from the ocean and surrounded by dense evergreens, this wine reflects the climatic edges of coastal viticulture at over 500m.—aromas of seaspray, tart cranberry and a squeeze of blood orange. The palate is reflective of elegance, with hints of smoky clove, tart wild red strawberries and white peppercorn. Click to see full details | |
| Failla, Platt Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | Platt Vineyard is just a few kilometres from the cooling Pacific Ocean. Winemaker Ehren Jordan's wines have a savoury depth and roasted sea salt intensity that few wines on the Sonoma Coast can approach. He's a big proponent of whole clusters, and the Platt Vineyard Pinot Noir undeniably sees ample stem inclusion. Aromas of swirling savoury depth, forest floor, smoky lavender, and spicy wild herb lift. The palate is tense and taut, with light red berry fruits, black tea, smoky clove, and savoury smoked sea salt. Click to see full details | |
| Failla, Peay Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 94 | A wine of tension and energy with a savoury core. The Peay Vineyards produce incredible wines of site. Failla's Ehren Jordan leans into the wine's edgy climatic conditions to create an ethereal Pinot Noir with his throughline of mineral intensity. Rich roasted notes of smoky clove, frankincense and sea salt. A herbaceous core, mint, lavender and anise are decorated by notes of black tea, and a whisper of red berries make an appearance in a palate awash in rich minerality. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, BA Thieriot Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Tasted from an unracked barrel sample, the Theriot Pinot Noir from 2022 shows a real departure from the previous vintage. Bright fruited with sweet strawberries and herbs, the 22 barrel sample shows a lightness and elegance that contrasts against the richer, more brooding 2021. Click to see full details | |
| Littorai, Mays Canyon Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Mays Canyon 22 barrel sample floral and sweet pear notes on the aromas, lemon curd and stone minerality. Great acidity, ripe fruits and marine salinity balance richness. This will evolve nicely prior to bottling. There are relatively few Chardonnay sites on the Sonoma Coast; there is great acidity and elegance, and there is a touch of botrytis in one out of five vintages. Ted Lemon notes that there are no predictable harvest timelines between Sonoma Coast Pinot and Chardonnay. It can be ready to pick simultaneously or up to three weeks later. Click to see full details | |
| Marine Layer Wines, Aries Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | This is the entry-level bottling from the Marine Layer Chardonnay selection. The Aries blends Heintz, Durrell, Gap's Crown, and Bohemian vineyards. The wine has a fresh marine salinity, oyster shells, and smoky grilled lemon peel. Finely etched minerality frames everything in this Chardonnay. On the palate, tangy citrus and smoky saline meld with a fantastic lemon curd. Click to see full details | |
| Marine Layer Wines, Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | An iconic Sonoma Vineyard, Gap's Crown, is just as it sounds, towards the top of the Petaluma Gap on the western flanks of Sonoma Mountain. The Marine Layer Pinot from the site offers aromas of fleshy red fruits, clove and cola notes alongside candied strawberries. The palate shows a natural richness. There's a great depth of fruit, dark notes of bramble berries, blackberries, and candied strawberries, and a note of Chinese five spice piques the fruit-focused palate towards its finish. A faint touch of phenolic heat. Click to see full details | |
| Three Sticks, Gap's Crown Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Ample oak character drives the Three Sticks Gap's Crown Chardonnay. Generous and balanced with ample oak spice, nutmeg, spiced pear, a streak of saline character, florals, and lemon curd. The palate is opulent, with honeyed stone fruits, petrichor and saline framework. Honeyed ginger, tangerine peel, ripe pear flesh, dashes of nutmeg and cardamom and a saline tingle towards the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Three Sticks, Price Family Estates Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | This wine is a melange of six of the Three Sticks estate sites. It is ripe and rich in style for the Sonoma Coast. Notes of pine sap buoy the aromatics of blue fruits and rose petals. The palate delivers on concentrated ripe black and blue fruits framed by savoury notes of eucalyptus and pine tar. The 15-20% whole cluster provides a note of Christmas spice to finish. Click to see full details | |
| Senses, Chardonnay | Russian River Valley | 2022 | 93 | The Senses Russian River Chardonnay is a blend of sites across the appellation within the Sonoma Coast AVA. The wine is very ripe in the context of coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—generous and lush aromatics with notes of spiced pear and nutmeg, rich honeysuckle, and bruised apples. The palate is full and fleshy. Candied lemon drops cut into a rich depth of baked apple and plenty of roundness, lifted with hints of marine salinity and made by Thomas Rivers Brown. Click to see full details | |
| Senses, Charles Heintz Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Stylistically ripe and rich from this iconic Russian River Chardonnay vineyard. The aromas open with loads of fleshy peach, apricot and honeyed ginger. The palate is rich and luscious, offering grilled peaches and honeyed apricots. A lifted finish is marked by cardamom and petrichor. The site is conventionally farmed but certified sustainable. Click to see full details | |
| Senses, Kanzler Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Technically Sebastopol Hills, but labelled RRV, the Kanzler Vineyard was planted in 1996 in the cool marine-influenced hills. This site shows ample marine influence from its 24-year-old vines, even in this riper-styled Pinot Noir. It is wildly aromatic, with notes of clove, spice, and blue bramble fruits. The palate shows spiced red plum, blackberries, wild anise, and white pepper, finishing with a tingly mineral seaspray. Click to see full details | |
| Senses, MCM88 Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | From the site formerly known as Keefer Ranch comes the ‘MCM88’ Pinot Noir, a generous and ripe Russian River single-vineyard Pinot Noir. The team at Senses picked up this block, which formerly went to Kosta Browne. It is full-bodied and ripe, with aromas of cola, ripe strawberries, and black cherry flesh. The palate is fruit-centered. Flavours of spicy red and black plums, clove, and black fig accents are framed by ripe tannins and candied red fruits. Click to see full details | |
| Senses, Day One Pinot Noir | West Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | The original Senses estate vineyard is the Hillcrest Vineyard, planted in 1974 and then replated in 2005—the ripest of the vintage from Senses, aromas of Luxardo cherries and smashed strawberries on hot stone. The palate is fleshy and generous as strawberry flavours wrap around sweet florals accented by clove and smoked cinnamon spice. Click to see full details | |
| Alma Fria, Sparkling Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Kemp started building a perpetual cuvee of Blanc de Blancs in 2011 but didn't bottle it. ‘There are not a lot of base wines in California so I spent a decade building the base wine.’ He did his first tirage bottling in 2020. Recently disgorged; it's a blend of 10 vintages total; half is from 2020, and the other half is a 10-year cuvée. The wine was bottled intentionally with fewer bubbles and a more vinous character, which pairs well with West Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Redolent florals, cut pears and notes of honeyed ginger build out the aromatics. The palate is rich with honeysuckle, ripe pear, and golden apples, finishing with rich honeyed stone fruits. Click to see full details | |
| Alma Fria, Richardson Ranch Pinot Noir | West Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Redwoods around the site halfway, geography also plays a role. Richardson was planted for Ted Lemon of Littorai, Peay and Carroll of Alma Fria. The family has a unique history, arriving in the 1870s, they now own miles of coastline in the region, sustainability has always been an ethos of theirs even dating back over 100 years. This was their first foray into vineyard plantings, and they've worked with the brands very closely, allowing them to drive a lot of the farming decisions. The second ridge inland, lower in elevation than Hirsch. There is a fleshy character to the wine, as raspberries and cranberries vie for the fruit character while mint and white pepper lifts the wine's Burgundian flavour profile to the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Small Vines, Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | No new barrels were used in 2022, but there was a once-used puncheon that Paul used, 10 months in oak on lees. This Chardonnay is from the TBH Vineyard but is not a single vineyard classified as it's from blocks the winemaking team haven't designated for TBH—ethereal aromas of lemon curd, wet slate and minerality driven by purity of sea spray. The palate demonstrates a balance of fruit and elegance, smoky citrus, brilliant lemon drop notes and a saline salt air finish. Click to see full details | |
| Three Sticks, Walala Vineyard Pinot Noir | Fort Ross-Seaview | 2022 | 93 | The 2022 Walala is still coming into itself. Concentrated berries and faint purple florals mingle in the aromatic profile: dusty black raspberries, smoky clove and frankincense are lifted up by savoury wild anise and black tea leaves. Click to see full details | |
| Failla, Estate Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Richly aromatic, this wine has deep honey tones that meld with ripe stone fruits and the ever-present Sonoma Coast sea air minerality. The palate shows an entry of juicy Meyer lemon pulp, honeyed apricot flesh, and a hint of oak-driven nutmeg spice. It is deliciously decadent yet balanced with the saline backbone that is the signature of the appellation. Click to see full details | |
| Flowers, Camp Meeting Ridge | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | The Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge site was planted in 1991 at 500m, just 3km from the Pacific Ocean, and its precision and edgy minerality are critical components of the signature coastal terroir. It is scented with ocean air salinity, grilled lime and apricot skin. The palate shows a fruit-driven depth of juicy Meyer lemon pulp, with lemon verbena and sea air salinity lift honeyed notes of yellow peach flesh Click to see full details | |
| Wayfarer, The Traveler Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | The 2022 bottling is quite youthful with tart fruits, marked by cranberry and mint aromatics. The palate shows red and blue berry fruits, crunchy florals and an elegance of spice. A homage to suitcase clones, the Traveller is named for claims that the wines may have been clones from La Tache. It's reliably the lowest pH and lowest alcohol wine and shows an ageability that the other bottlings may not show Click to see full details | |
| Cobb, Abigail's Vineyard Estate Riesling | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 93 | Ross grafted Riesling on top of well-established Pinot Noir vines in 2019 at this site in the cool hills about Sebastopol. It takes advantage of the cool coastal weather and well-drained soils to create wines of uncommon quality and finesse not often found in California Riesling. Beguiling pear and apple fruits, buoy sweet florals, and ripe yellow peaches. The clone 17 Riesling shows spice and a richness of fruit. The palate offers nutmeg, smoky, ripe grilled peach, rich, honeyed apricot, and ginger notes to finish the wine's complexity. Click to see full details | |
| Three Sticks, Durell Vineyard Pinot Blanc | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 92 | From the well-known Durell Vineyard, one of Sonoma's top Chardonnay sites, with moderating breezes from the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This bottling is a rarity from this vineyard; The Pinot Blanc comes from a cooler section of the vineyard. It's spicy and light. The aromas are straightforward and honest, with bright stone fruit and honeysuckle florals coming from the acacia oak program. The palate is lively, and spiced; cardamom and ginger notes drive a lovely texture and fullness of fruit. Click to see full details | |
| Senses, El Diablo Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 92 | A warm and inland site in the Russian River Valley. Ripe and rich with dusty peaches and nutmeg-spiced pear. El Diablo Vineyard shows lots of ripeness and fruit, with grilled pineapple, and tons of tangy ripe citrus fruit lifted with a touch of minerality. Click to see full details | |
| Alma Fria, Holtermann Vineyard Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 92 | ‘I go for aromatics over body,’ says winemaker Carroll Kemp. Minimal extraction and no additions in an effort to let the vineyards shine through. Holtermann is the estate site; the redwood trees have a considerable influence; redwood trees surround Holtermann There is a light citrus element, tangerine oil, mixed with bark, which comes from the fog lying in the cedars and then eventually dripping down into the soils. Spicy, savoury notes of chicory root, tart red tayberries, and notes of blood orange with ample clove, five spice, and a frankincense character finish the wine. Click to see full details | |
| Alma Fria, Plural Pinot Noir | West Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 92 | Florals and spicy notes with cardamom, tea leaves and eucalyptus notes. Pure Pinot Noir with very little oak influence. The palate is a melange of blue and red bramble fruits, wild green strawberries, mint and white pepper, there's ample structure and length. Click to see full details | |
| Gros Ventre, High Country Red | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 92 | Made in the style of a Passe-Tout-Grains, this wine is fairly reductive. It has flinty aromas, dried violets, and a peppery spice. The palate is a touch rustic, with spicy berries and white and green peppercorns. Click to see full details | |
| Gros Ventre, Rancho Coda Fiano | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 92 | Dynamite, refreshing Fiano from the Rancho Coda Vineyard, an organic site atop a steep northerly aspect just outside of Healdsburg. It was originally planted to Cab, Zin, and Pinot but has been completely reimagined with several eclectic new varietals. The nose has bright peach skin and nectarine flesh aromas backed by subtle florals. The palate is light and zippy, with a nice texture that carries through lemon zest, sea air salinity, and a touch of crushed slate minerality. Click to see full details | |
| Three Sticks, Origin Durell Vineyard Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 90 | Unoaked and steely with pear, nutmeg and ample lees texture throughout. Steely aromatics with Granny Smith apples and wet stones. Durrell has showcased so much excellent Chardonnay over the years. The stainless steel approach has stripped away the dressing and focuses on the purity of the fruit from this site. ‘A Durell Chardonnay without clothes,’ says cofounder Prema Kerollis. Click to see full details | |
| Alma Fria, Plural Cabernet Sauvignon | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 90 | As you go east you get warmer, just outside of Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, planted Cabernet in 1993, pure example of cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromatics of roasted hatch pepper and ample white pepper drive the savoury aromatics with only a hint of florals. The palate shows blue fruit, hatch pepper pyrazines, mint and eucalyptus make for a mostly savoury flavour profile. Cool climate Cabernet on the Sonoma Coast. Click to see full details | |
| Chalk Hill, Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 89 | Subtle and bright citrus fruit aromatics, white flowers and honeyed apricots announce the Chalk Hill Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. The palate is concentrated and pronounced with loads of poached apple and pear flavours,; hints of nutmeg and lemon curd carry this wine to it conclusion. Click to see full details | |
| Chalk Hill, Pinot Noir | Sonoma Coast | 2022 | 87 | A hefty and ripe Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast that shows intensity and dark fruits. Aromatics of smoky clove and frankincense and a touch of charred ember backed by ripe black plums. The palate shows rustic country berries, savoury herbs and a finish with notes of white pepper. Click to see full details |