2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Marin

Marin County lies to the north of San Francisco, just across the Golden Gate Bridge and goes up to Bodega Bay. This is a cool, foggy region and the 2015 Pinot Noir Marin County was destemmed and spent 16 months in 32% new French oak. Cranberries, white cherries, spice, bay leaf, and sassafras notes all flow to a beautifully balanced, medium-bodied Pinot Noir that shines for its complexity and nuance. It’s one of the fine, ethereal wines in the lineup, yet doesn’t lack for intensity or depth. It’s going to keep for 10-12 years. Don Hartford and winemaker Jeff Stewart have produced a sensational lineup of wines in 2015 (and I suspect 2016 as well). This is a smaller yielding year, and while quantities are tiny, the wines are concentrated, rich, and flamboyant while also staying elegant and seamless. These are world-class Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that readers need to seek out!