2021 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard

The deep ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard is expressive in its perfume noted with a delicate touch of sweet cola spice, cinnamon candy, raspberry liqueur, and fresh pine. Full-bodied, it has great immediacy without being dumbed down, and delivers a flood of juicy berries, flowers, and fresh earth. Fine tannins and a silky texture make for an outstanding wine to drink over the next 10-12 years.

The deep ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard is expressive in its perfume noted with a delicate touch of sweet cola spice, cinnamon candy, raspberry liqueur, and fresh pine. Full-bodied, it has great immediacy without being dumbed down, and delivers a flood of juicy berries, flowers, and fresh earth. Fine tannins and a silky texture make for an outstanding wine to drink over the next 10-12 years. Owned by Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh and based in Calistoga, Rivers Marie specializes in single varietal, single vineyard expressions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of Sonoma's most prolific winemakers and consultants, Thomas Rivers Brown grew up in South Carolina and later went on to work at Turley before carving his own path forward. I met with Thomas and Will Segui, the assistant winemaker, at the Calistoga winery this May to taste the wines for this report. Having been hit incredibly hard in 2020, their 2021s are showing even better than I could have anticipated from last year’s barrel samples. These are some of the best wines I have ever tasted from Rivers Marie, with exceptional balance and finesse.