Wine & Spirits

Chardonnay, H. Klopp Vineyard

2018 – 94 points

Katy Wilson worked with Ted Klopp and Lauren Klopp Williams on planting this vineyard in 2014, focusing on the Old Wente and Mt. Eden clones for her selection of fruit. The site is 11 miles from the Pacific, in the hills southwest of Sebastopol and this second release buzzes with energy, delivering Goldridge minerality and dynamic freshness. Bass notes deepen the flavors toward almond and allspice, while a tart green note of mint or summer savory takes the wine in Mediterranean direction—to serve with grilled lamb in avgolemono sauce. —Joshua Greene

Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

2014 – 90 points

Katy Wilson makes this from Rice-Spivak, Emmaline Ann and Thorn Ridge vineyards, all planted on Goldridge soil. There’s a definite green cast to its aroma, but its rhubarb and tomato-leaf tones open into flashes of brighter red-currant flavor, and the texture is succulent and beguiling. It’s not tense or dramatic; it’s a fresh and savory wine to enjoy in its youth.

Pinot Noir, Coastlands Vineyard

2017 – 93 points

“Katy Wilson makes this wine from Ross Cobb’s family’s vineyard in Occidental, a hillside facing west to the Pacific. The fruit tones are as brisk and cool as you might expect from a wine grown four miles from the sea: This starts out with zesty flavors of ruby-red grapefruit and the pink blush of peach skin, then it explodes with a blast of spice, lingering on herbal notes of sage and thyme. There’s red fruit flavor in the tannins, but it is recessed for now, the wine needing a few years in bottle to reach peak expression.”  — Joshua Greene

Pinot Noir, Emmaline Ann Vineyard

2014 – 91 points

“This comes from a small vineyard planted on a forested hillside near Sebastopol, and it feels like a coastal wine, with a green edge to its high- toned red fruit that suggests sumac and rhubarb. Maybe because the fruit is so high toned, the oak feels a bit prominent at first, gripping and cedar scented, but the vineyard’s refreshing herb and flower aromas win out in the end.” — Luke Sykora.