2009 Auteur Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Auteur is a Sonoma producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It was founded by Kenneth and Laura Juhasz. Kenneth is a winemaker who has worked for numerous wineries in Oregon and California. Juhasz sources grapes rom Anderson Valley, Mendocino, Carneros and the Russian River Valley. Auteur wines have won consistently high compliments and ratings from reviewers. Robert M. Parker Jr. called the 2011 Auteur Hyde Chardonnay “a perfect synthesis in style of a grand cru white Burgundy and California’s more tropical and exotic, fruit-laden Chardonnays.”

Sonoma Coast AVA runs from San Pablo Bay in the south to Mendocino County in the north. It includes 7,000 vineyard acres and earned AVA status in 1987. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean means it gets double the rainfall of nearby inland appellations and the ocean gives the appellation a relatively cool climate. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can thrive in these conditions, and there are numerous producers making critically acclaimed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.