Peay’s Sonoma Coast bottling includes a majority of the 15 Pinot Noir clones they grow on their organically-farmed 35-acre vineyard. The site is located on a hilltop perched above a river in the far northwestern corner of the West Sonoma Coast. This is a wine that over-delivers for its price point, Â deftly capturing the signature savoury, earthy, floral, and fruit-rich profile that makes West Sonoma Coast and Peay Pinots unique. The bright nose on the 2018 is a knock-out, the spice-laden ginger bread and tobacco leaf aromas accenting a raspberry and cherry core of fruit. There is a lean depth on the palate, without excess, and the round mouthfeel on the mid-palate is held in check by light tannins that soften with air. Hibiscus, briny sea salt, and herbes de Provence flavours linger on the long finish. This compelling, engaging wine.
Harvested when the fruit was still cool from night air, bunches were largely de-stemmed before maceration. After a wild-yeast ferment, the wine aged in French oak (23% new) for nearly a year before it was bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
The 2019 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) is bright and punchy, but also has plenty of depth. Dark cherry, plum, lavender and spice are nicely pushed forward in this racy, succulent Pinot Noir. Silky and vibrant, the 2019 conveys all the energy of the year so well. All the elements come together in a stellar appellation-level Pinot Noir from Peay.
92 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, January 2021
