2011 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir

Rivers-Marie is a boutique producer of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon started a few years ago by by Thomas Rivers Brown, a Napa winemaker and winemaking consultant who has worked for such clients as Schrader and Turley. He and his partner Genevieve Marie Welsh work with vineyard owners to secure grapes. Their wines, produced in very small quantities, are generally available only by mailing list. In 2009 Eric Asimov of the New York Times called Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir ‘intense yet beautifully balanced, with lively acidity that makes them refreshing.”

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.