Flowers 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
As nursery owners in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Walt and Joan Flowers had long dreamed of combining their love of wine with their passion for agriculture. They knew they wanted to produce their favorite varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; what they didn’t know was that their path would eventually lead them across country to Northern California’s rugged Sonoma Coast. After responding to a small classified ad in a national wine publication, that’s exactly where they landed. In 1989, after many information-gathering trips to Napa and Sonoma, Walt and Joan purchased 321 acres, including a ridge top, high above the Pacific Ocean on the northern Sonoma Coast. With the same determination they drew on to build their successful nursery business; the Flowers proceeded with the dream of producing their favorite cool-climate varietals in a place they believed uniquely suited to growing them. Today, Flowers Winery produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from its two estate properties, Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard and Sea View Ridge Vineyard, as well as select vineyards in the coolest regions of the Sonoma Coast AVA, which are farmed to Flowers’ specifications by their own crews.
I tasted this at a private event (as I did the 2013 Chardonnay) and bought a few bottles for my cellar. Flowers has other Pinots, which I can’t wait to get my hands on a bottle, as I understand they are also elegant wines. A light ruby red color (the color was stunning) with aromas of sweet red fruit and slight earthy herb notes. The 100% Pinot Noir wine was aged for 11 months on French oak, (25% new) before bottling. On the palate, the finished product was about medium in weight and displayed a central focus of red fruit, sweet cherries and perfectly ripe strawberries. The wine showed refined tannins surrounded by lively acidity and a touch of earthy minerals, giving the wine a tremendous balance. This is a very elegant wine that must grace your table, otherwise you are missing a real treasure. Top-notch!
Cheers!