2017 Radio-Coteau Vineyards Laguna Pinot Noir

Radio-Coteau is a Sonoma County winery founded in 2002 by Eric Sussman. Though the winery is in Sebastopol, the estate sources grapes from several northern California appellations. Its name is a colloquial French term meaning “word of mouth” and Radio-Coteau has achieved a cult following for its small batch Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Zinfandel. Sussman, who is the winemaker, worked with producers in Burgundy, Washington and Northern California before forming a partnership with Bill and Joan Smith, owners of W.H. Smith Wines, to start Radio-Coteau.. Reviewers have given Radio-Coteau wines high compliments and the wines are generally available primarily through the estate’s mailing list.

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

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.