From the wine archives:
2016 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
Sonoma Coast
The Sonoma Coast Pinot noir over-delivers in every sense and is a perfect expression of the fruit, floral, earth harmony we seek to capture in our Pinot noir. The Sonoma Coast blend represents about a third of the Pinot noir we grow at our vineyard and is made from barrels of Estate Pinot noir that through our blind blending process do not end up in Elanus, Scallop Shelf, Ama, or Pomarium. The Sonoma Coast blend is also made blind of production amounts or winemaking information and usually has a majority of the clones we grow. It is a good snapshot of what our vineyard tastes like in any given year.
Most general AVA wines – in this case, Sonoma Coast –contain fruit from higher yielding and lesser quality vineyards from within their region. The Peay Sonoma Coast does not. It is 100% estate fruit and 100% free run juice, no press wine, made according to the highest standards. This is rare among our peer set and is very hard to do at this price point. As you will find with all our wines, our mission is to exceed expectations and to deliver quality without compromise. The Sonoma Coast Pinot in a nutshell.
The Sonoma Coast bottling includes a majority of the 15 Pinot noir clones we grow on the 35 acre Pinot noir vineyard and over-delivers for its price point. It deftly captures the signature savory, earth, floral and fruit profile that makes the West Sonoma Coast and Peay Pinot noirs unique. The bright nose on the 2016 Sonoma Coast Pinot noir is a knock-out featuring spice-laden ginger bread and tobacco leaf aromas accenting a raspberry and cherry core of fruit. There is real depth on the palate without fat and the round mouthfeel on the mid palate is held in check by light tannins that soften with air. A mixture of hibiscus, brine, and dried herbes de Provence flavors linger on the long finish. The balance of fruit, floral, and earth make this a very compelling and engaging wine.