August 24, 2010
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Freeman Vineyard & Winery
| Owner(s) | Akiko Freeman, Ken Freeman |
| Web site | www.freemanwinery.com |
| Link to this site |
Ken and Akiko Freeman started their winery quietly in 2001 and since then have developed a style of Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that appeals to those who savor elegant cool-climate wines with lovely ripe fruit flavors. Their talented winemaker, Ed Kurtzman, is assisted by Akiko, and together they craft wines that are quite approachable upon release, yet show enough depth and structure to allow for extended development over the long term. There is a Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley appellation Pinot Noir, a vineyard-designate from Keefer Ranch, and the best barrels from each vintage are chosen by Akiko and bottled as “Akiko’s Cuvee.” Production is about 4,000 cases annually which includes a Chardonnay (Ryo-Fu “Cool Breeze”). Most of the wine is sold through a mailing list.
Ken and Akiko seem to be everywhere, hosting tastings at their winery, as well as participating in many Pinot Noir festivals and special dinners. This is in spite of Ken’s day job as an investment banker. They travel extensively and entertain Ken’s banking clients at home and abroad. The pair have lived in Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and Akiko hails from Japan. The result is that over 300 cases of Pinot Noir are sent to Japan each year.
The Freemans own a winery built into a hillside complete with extensive caves located in western Sebastopol. They have spent considerable time and energy in beautifying the caves and it is a comforting place to visit and taste. In 2007, they began planting their own four-acre estate vineyard on the hillside behind their winery. Under the guidance of noted viticulturalist, Greg Adams, they chose to plant Swan and Calera selections in the Goldridge soils of this vineyard.
Articles About Freeman Vineyard & Winery
Celebrated Vineyards Focus Tasting (7.24 8/28/2009)
Freeman Winery: Tasting the 08’s (8.13 4/8/2010)
Marcy Keefer & Craig Strehlow: Keefer Ranch (6.62 7/19/2008)
Memoirs of a Wine Trip Well-Taken (6.5 11/26/2006)
On the Pinot Trail: WOPN 2010 (8.13 4/8/2010)
Pinots from the Edge (6.57 4/7/2008)
Producer Spotlight Tasting: Ed Kurtzman (7.24 8/28/2009)
Reviewed Wines
2008 Freeman Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc..
·
Demure aromas of red cherries and berries.
Soft in the mouth with charming flavors of cherries and cherry cola. Oak is still prominent and may integrate
over time. Good.
Reviewed April 8, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
1,473 cases, $44. Sourced from five
vineyards, with a third from Ted Klopp’s Thorn Ridge Vineyard. Aged 11 months in 47% new French oak.
·
Richer and earthier than the Sonoma Coast bottling with bright flavors of ripe Bing cherries, dark berries, oak
and cola. Still rather closed but the future is very promising for this wine. Has the bones (tannins and acidity)
to age ten years. Good.
Reviewed April 9, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Ryo-Fu Russian River Valley Chardonnay
14.1% alc., 550 cases, $44.
Sourced from Heintz Vineyard, Keefer Ranch and Black Emerald Vineyard. Aged 14 months in 20% new
French oak, barrel fermented with 100% MLF.
·
Beautifully proportioned with just the right touch of oak. Crisp
and clean with appealing flavors of pear, white peach and creme brulee. Not at all tiring to drink like many
California Chardonnays. One of the top California Chardonnays I have tasted from this vintage. Very good.
Reviewed April 9, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
1425 cases, $44. 44% Rayhill Vineyard, 32%
Guidici Vineyard, 24% Sexton Vineyard. Aged 11 months in 40% new French oak.
·
Very approachable wine
that is medium-weighted with charming black cherry fruit and soft tannins. The nose is quite delicately fruited
with notes of dried rose petals. I liked this a lot. Very good.
Reviewed April 9, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 445 cases,
$48. Aged 11 months in 35% new French oak.
·
Bright scents of strawberry and raspberry tart with hints of
baking spice and orange tea. Tasty panoply of redder fruits with herbs and tea leaves mixed in. Silky smooth
with soft tannins, bright acidity and an appealing elegance. A sweetheart wine that is very approachable now
and quite easy to drink. Very good.
Reviewed April 9, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Akiko’s Cuvée Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 420 cases,
$56. A barrel selection chosen by Akiko, Ken, and winemakers Ed Kurtzman and Eric Buffington. Each
person’s top barrels are blended and tasted blind. Called Akiko’s Cuvée, because her blend nearly
always wins this blind tasting. Keefer Ranch fruit makes up the largest portion. Aged 11 months in 38%
new French oak.
·
Shy, teasing aromatics with scents of wild berries, oak toast and cut flowers. Rich and
satisfying red and purple fruits on the palate with caressing tannins. Very smoothly textured and
seamless. Tasted the next day and the day after from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, the wine
retained its appeal indicating age ability. A stunning wine that will easily go 15 years. My wife went gaga over
this wine.
Reviewed April 9, 2010
ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., $41.
·
A complex array of scents including
bright cherries, herbs, barnyard and oak char. The dark cherry, raspberry and cola flavors are saucy and
lush, but the thick oak toast spoils the party for me. A perfectly well-crafted wine that will appeal to those
who like oak with their Pinot.
Reviewed May 26, 2008
ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., $41.
·
Moderate dark ruby color. Appealing aromas
of toasty cherry, herbs and even apple notes. The palate is sturdy, full and long with nice black
cherry and oak spice flavors. The mouth feel is velvety and the whole package is perfectly balanced. Not
a blockbuster by any means, just a very comforting Pinot Noir that is easy to recommend.
Reviewed May 26, 2008
ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., $46.
·
Moderately deep
ruby color. The nose is a showy cherry bombast - rich and deep with damp earth accents. Substantial
black cherry core, smooth, clean and tangy with a lengthy finish. A woodsy, earthy touch adds interest. A
stellar wine from a top Sonoma County vineyard that is worthy of its own designation.
Reviewed May 26, 2008
ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Vineyards & Winery Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc.,
$46.
·
Moderately deep ruby color. A cherry bombast on the nose. Saucy, fat and lush black cherry core.
Appealing earthy touch. Clean, crisp and tangy finish that lasts and lasts. Naomi Campbell in hiking
boots.
Reviewed July 19, 2008
ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Akiko’s Cuvee Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., $52.
·
A bit shy at this stage. Extensive swirling in the glass brings forth
nicely spiced black cherry scents. This wine is a little better than the
other wines in the lineup in every way. Creamier on the palate, especially
on entry, more elegance, and a longer finish. Perfect integration of
oak. You can drink it now, but it will reward further cellaring. Akiko
knows Pinot.
Reviewed May 26, 2008
ARTICLE »
2005 Freeman Akiko’s Cuvee Pinot Noir
425 cases Akiko Freeman selects her favorite barrels for
this wine. Both Ken and Ed also pick out their favorite barrels and challenge her, but in every vintage,
from 2002 to 2005, her blend is always the trio’s favorite. Poor Ed, his blend of his favorites never gets
picked. We enjoyed this at lunch at K & L Bistro in Sebastopol (recently awarded one star by the
Michelin Guide and one of my favorite restaurants in Sonoma wine country).
·
Cherries and spice and
everything nice in the aromatics, delicate red fruit flavors with cola and tea, a soft, silky texture, and a
generous finish of aromas and flavors that persist. An excellent food wine. Drinking window is 1-5 years.
Reviewed November 26, 2006
ARTICLE »
2005 Freeman Akiko’s Cuvée Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc..
·
Light ruby in color. Very charming scents of red fruits including wild strawberries,
with floral notes (violets) as well. A graceful wine driven by flavors of red
Pinot fruits with herbal accents. The finish is marred by a touch of woodiness
which disappears when the wine is accompanied by food.
Reviewed April 7, 2008
ARTICLE »
2005 Freeman Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
500 cases. This
vineyard has produced grapes for many distinctive bottlings from several producers. Currently Ed is
helping the Keefers bottle their own estate wine for 2006.
·
This is the only single-vineyard
Pinot Noir from Freeman. Bottled separately because of its unique fruit, the grapes have a distinctive
rose petal aroma, high acidity and plenty of fruit to back up the generous use of new oak.
Reviewed November 26, 2006
ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc.. · Demure aromas of red cherries and berries. Soft in the mouth with charming flavors of cherries and cherry cola. Oak is still prominent and may integrate over time. Good. Reviewed April 8, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
1,473 cases, $44. Sourced from five vineyards, with a third from Ted Klopp’s Thorn Ridge Vineyard. Aged 11 months in 47% new French oak. · Richer and earthier than the Sonoma Coast bottling with bright flavors of ripe Bing cherries, dark berries, oak and cola. Still rather closed but the future is very promising for this wine. Has the bones (tannins and acidity) to age ten years. Good. Reviewed April 9, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Ryo-Fu Russian River Valley Chardonnay
14.1% alc., 550 cases, $44. Sourced from Heintz Vineyard, Keefer Ranch and Black Emerald Vineyard. Aged 14 months in 20% new French oak, barrel fermented with 100% MLF. · Beautifully proportioned with just the right touch of oak. Crisp and clean with appealing flavors of pear, white peach and creme brulee. Not at all tiring to drink like many California Chardonnays. One of the top California Chardonnays I have tasted from this vintage. Very good. Reviewed April 9, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
1425 cases, $44. 44% Rayhill Vineyard, 32% Guidici Vineyard, 24% Sexton Vineyard. Aged 11 months in 40% new French oak. · Very approachable wine that is medium-weighted with charming black cherry fruit and soft tannins. The nose is quite delicately fruited with notes of dried rose petals. I liked this a lot. Very good. Reviewed April 9, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 445 cases, $48. Aged 11 months in 35% new French oak. · Bright scents of strawberry and raspberry tart with hints of baking spice and orange tea. Tasty panoply of redder fruits with herbs and tea leaves mixed in. Silky smooth with soft tannins, bright acidity and an appealing elegance. A sweetheart wine that is very approachable now and quite easy to drink. Very good. Reviewed April 9, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Freeman Vineyard & Winery Akiko’s Cuvée Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 420 cases, $56. A barrel selection chosen by Akiko, Ken, and winemakers Ed Kurtzman and Eric Buffington. Each person’s top barrels are blended and tasted blind. Called Akiko’s Cuvée, because her blend nearly always wins this blind tasting. Keefer Ranch fruit makes up the largest portion. Aged 11 months in 38% new French oak. · Shy, teasing aromatics with scents of wild berries, oak toast and cut flowers. Rich and satisfying red and purple fruits on the palate with caressing tannins. Very smoothly textured and seamless. Tasted the next day and the day after from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, the wine retained its appeal indicating age ability. A stunning wine that will easily go 15 years. My wife went gaga over this wine. Reviewed April 9, 2010 ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., $41. · A complex array of scents including bright cherries, herbs, barnyard and oak char. The dark cherry, raspberry and cola flavors are saucy and lush, but the thick oak toast spoils the party for me. A perfectly well-crafted wine that will appeal to those who like oak with their Pinot. Reviewed May 26, 2008 ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., $41. · Moderate dark ruby color. Appealing aromas of toasty cherry, herbs and even apple notes. The palate is sturdy, full and long with nice black cherry and oak spice flavors. The mouth feel is velvety and the whole package is perfectly balanced. Not a blockbuster by any means, just a very comforting Pinot Noir that is easy to recommend. Reviewed May 26, 2008 ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., $46. · Moderately deep ruby color. The nose is a showy cherry bombast - rich and deep with damp earth accents. Substantial black cherry core, smooth, clean and tangy with a lengthy finish. A woodsy, earthy touch adds interest. A stellar wine from a top Sonoma County vineyard that is worthy of its own designation. Reviewed May 26, 2008 ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Vineyards & Winery Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., $46. · Moderately deep ruby color. A cherry bombast on the nose. Saucy, fat and lush black cherry core. Appealing earthy touch. Clean, crisp and tangy finish that lasts and lasts. Naomi Campbell in hiking boots. Reviewed July 19, 2008 ARTICLE »
2006 Freeman Akiko’s Cuvee Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., $52. · A bit shy at this stage. Extensive swirling in the glass brings forth nicely spiced black cherry scents. This wine is a little better than the other wines in the lineup in every way. Creamier on the palate, especially on entry, more elegance, and a longer finish. Perfect integration of oak. You can drink it now, but it will reward further cellaring. Akiko knows Pinot. Reviewed May 26, 2008 ARTICLE »
2005 Freeman Akiko’s Cuvee Pinot Noir
425 cases Akiko Freeman selects her favorite barrels for this wine. Both Ken and Ed also pick out their favorite barrels and challenge her, but in every vintage, from 2002 to 2005, her blend is always the trio’s favorite. Poor Ed, his blend of his favorites never gets picked. We enjoyed this at lunch at K & L Bistro in Sebastopol (recently awarded one star by the Michelin Guide and one of my favorite restaurants in Sonoma wine country). · Cherries and spice and everything nice in the aromatics, delicate red fruit flavors with cola and tea, a soft, silky texture, and a generous finish of aromas and flavors that persist. An excellent food wine. Drinking window is 1-5 years. Reviewed November 26, 2006 ARTICLE »
2005 Freeman Akiko’s Cuvée Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc.. · Light ruby in color. Very charming scents of red fruits including wild strawberries, with floral notes (violets) as well. A graceful wine driven by flavors of red Pinot fruits with herbal accents. The finish is marred by a touch of woodiness which disappears when the wine is accompanied by food. Reviewed April 7, 2008 ARTICLE »
2005 Freeman Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
500 cases. This vineyard has produced grapes for many distinctive bottlings from several producers. Currently Ed is helping the Keefers bottle their own estate wine for 2006. · This is the only single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Freeman. Bottled separately because of its unique fruit, the grapes have a distinctive rose petal aroma, high acidity and plenty of fruit to back up the generous use of new oak. Reviewed November 26, 2006 ARTICLE »
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