2010 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Gioia Vineyard Sonoma Coast

The 2010 Pinot Noir Gioia Vineyard is a gorgeous wine laced with exotic scents of tangerine peel, spices, raspberries, licorice and white pepper. There is no shortage of personality or character in this fleshy, radiant Pinot Noir. Exotic spiced notes reappear on the finish. Balance and a total sense of harmony are the cornerstones here. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. This is a beautiful set of Pinot Noirs from proprietors Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh. Brown notes that the 2010 vintage was not looking so great at a number of these sites because of the cold summer. The late September heat wave gave the vines the last kick they needed to fully ripen. Brown gave the 2010 Pinots 10 months in French oak barrels ranging from 25-80% new. As good as the vineyard designates are, the real star here is the Sonoma Coast bottling, which is one of the most fairly priced Pinot Noirs from anywhere in the world. Tel. (707) 341-3127