January 25, 2012
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Rivers-Marie
| Owner(s) | Genevieve Marie Walsh, Thomas Rivers Brown |
| Web site | www.riversmarie.com |
| Link to this site |
Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Walsh have quietly developed one of California’s most cherished Pinot Noir labels. Thomas hails from South Carolina and was educated at the University of Virginia. In college he majored in English literature and game theory, two subjects about as distant from enology as possible. Brown traveled frequently to Europe after graduating in 1995, but had no intention of making wine. He arrived in Napa in 1997, and immediately fell in love with Northern California. He became hooked on playing the wine game, but had no leads or connections whatsoever. Initially, he sold wine at retailer All Seasons in Calistoga and worked at Rasmussen. His breakthrough came when he was hired by winemaker Ehren Jordan at Turley Wine Cellars. This was to become a very fortuitous hire as Ehren subsequently introduced Thomas to Scott and Joan Zeller, the owners of the 6-acre Summa Vineyard in the Occidental region of the true Sonoma Coast. Early on (2002 was the first Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir release), Summa Vineyard was the only source of Pinot Noir for Thomas, but led to other grape acquisitions in the area.
Today, Rivers-Marie produces very small amounts of Pinot Noir from three vineyard sources in the true Sonoma Coast, specifically the Occidental-Freestone area. Besides Summa Vineyard, which Brown purchased in 2010, grapes are sourced from the Occidental Ridge Vineyard (owned by Richard and Darla Radcliffe) which debuted in 2005, the Willow Creek Vineyard (2 acres owned by Raleigh and Patricia Wilson-Juckett) which debuted in 2006, and a new vineyard, Silver Eagle, owned by Ulises Valdez. A Chardonnay is crafted from Thieriot Vineyard near Summa Vineyard, and a Cabernet is produced from the Corona Vineyard in Oakville. Total production for Rivers-Marie in 2007 is 650 cases. Its no wonder that there are 4,000 people on the waiting list hopelessly biding their time for a spot on the mailing list. Managing allocations is more difficult for Thomas than crafting his wines!
Remarkably, Thomas also has a hand in crafting wine for fifteen different wineries in Napa at the Black Sears and Outpost wineries on Howell Mountain, processing 300 tons of grapes annually, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon for clients like Schrader Cellars, Maybach, Double Diamond, Casa Piena, Harris Estate, and wine for restaurateur Michael Chiarello. He worked at Nicholson Ranch from 2003 to 2007 as well. Brown has a second Pinot Noir project with partners, Aston Estate, sourcing Pinot Noir from the Annapolis region of the true Sonoma Coast. The Rivers-Marie and Aston Estate wines are produced at Black Sears Winery.
Brown attributes much of his self-taught winemaking acumen to a devotion to tasting wines from all over the world. His style is a result of wines he has consumed and appreciated.
Rivers-Marie wines are sold exclusively through a mailing list which has been full for some time now. You can add your name to the waiting list on the website, but you might be better served to seek out a few bottles on the secondary market. A Chardonnay from Thieriot Vineyard located in the true Sonoma Coast will be available in 2007. There is also a Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Thomas Rivers Brown was the 2010 Food and Wine Magazine Winemaker of the Year.
Articles About Rivers-Marie
Olympics of Cult Pinot Collectibles (7.1 8/19/2008)
Pinot Briefs (8.23 10/6/2010)
Pinot Briefs (8.30 1/27/2011)
Recent Chardonnays to Recommend (8.37 5/13/2011)
Rivers-Marie 2009 Pinot Noir (8.43 9/2/2011)
Rivers-Marie: Show Stopper Pinot Noir (7.21 7/9/2009)
Rivers-Marie: Still the One (8.17 6/21/2010)
Thomas Brown: Rivers-Marie (6.62 7/19/2008)
Reviewed Wines
2009 Rivers-Marie B. Thieriot Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
13.9%
alc., 116 cases. Aged in 60% new French oak barrels. 100% MLF.
·
Honey color
(second to some botrytis) and clear in the glass. Faint aromas of apple crisp
and toasty oak. Delicious and complex with vivid flavors of baked pears, baked
apples, honey, yeast, creme soda, toasted coconut and some citrus peel
bringing up the finish. Many of the flavors upon opening are oak-driven but
tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, there
was more aromatic interest and less oak influence. Nicely balanced and very
smooth on the palate with a good grip of acidity. A unique Chardonnay that will
please the adventurous. Cellar or decant if you drink now. Very good.
Reviewed May 15, 2011
ARTICLE »
2009 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.9% alc., 279 cases, $25. A
12 barrel blend composed roughly of 50% Summa Vineyard (declassified), 25%
Willow Creek Vineyard and 25% Lancel Creek Vineyard. Aged in 33% new
French oak barrels.
·
Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. Aromas of ripe
strawberries, dried rose petals and smoky oak. Redder fruits are featured in a
slightly terse, almost steely wine with supple tannins, finishing with an acidic
tang of grapefruit peel. An excellent wine for the dinner table. Good.
Reviewed September 2, 2011
ARTICLE »
2009 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.5% alc., 133 cases, $45. Aged in 33% new French oak barrels.The grape
berries were exceptionally small in 2009, composed of only skin and seed.
·
The
resulting juice was dark purple. Dark black plum color in the glass. Aromas of
blackberries, dark stone fruits, oak spice and slight reduction. Richly fruited with
intense flavors of grilled black fruits, cassis and an underlying savory note.
Bright acidity, soft tannins and a smooth mouth feel add to the appeal. This Pinot
has as enough acidity to balance out the bold fruit. Very good.
Reviewed September 2, 2011
ARTICLE »
2009 Rivers-Marie Silver Eagle Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 86 cases, $45. Aged in
50% new French oak barrels. Made with reduction so locked down since bottling.
·
Moderate reddish-purple
color in the glass. Reduction upon opening with a heavy scent of oak-derived coffee. Medium-weighted
flavors of black cherries and dark red berries with smoky oak and coffee notes in the background. Impressive
elegance and softness with a bright lift of acidity on the finish. Decanting recommended. Good (+).
Reviewed September 2, 2011
ARTICLE »
2009 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.2% alc., 106 cases, $60. Aged
in 80% new French oak barrels.
·
Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. An enticing and
aromatically exotic nose featuring mixed berries and black cherries with a hint of toasty oak. Clearly
the most intoxicating perfume in the lineup. Smooth and polished on the palate with ripe flavors of red
plums and cranberries with an underpinning of savory herbs and oak. Similar to the Sonoma Coast
bottling in its flavor profile, but with more body, flavor, mid-palate impression and nuance. A delicious
wine that has the balance to age extremely well. There is really nothing else quite like a Pinot Noir
from these old vines in the Summa Vineyard.
Reviewed September 2, 2011
ARTICLE »
2008 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 225
cases, $25. An earlier drinking wine composed of younger blocks of
Summa Vineyard and other barrels from Occidental Ridge and Willow
Creek (production was tiny and all of it went into this bottling).
·
Exciting scents of boysenberries, brioche, seasoned oak and a swirl of
spices. The most showy nose in the lineup. Discreetly rich in the
mouth, with a wave of black cherries, dark berries, cola, smoke and savory herbs
wrapped in peach-skin tannins that combine in a very pleasurable drinking
experience. Very good.
Reviewed June 22, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., pH 3.50, 225 cases, $45.
·
This one will make the hair on
your neck stand erect. Lovely aromas of freshly picked red and black
berries and cherries nicely spiced with hints of soak and sage. In the
mouth I was at a loss for descriptors. My notes say, “Amazing fruit,
want more, really attacks, great juice, class in the glass.” This wine has
that California fruit viscosity that makes you proud to be an American, and
an addictive and refreshing ending in which the fragrance returns to haunt the
finish. It was scary that this wine was better later in the day from a bottle opened
earlier in the morning. Imagine what this wine will be like in a couple of years!
Reviewed June 22, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 200 cases, $45.
·
Enticing perfume of fresh red stone fruits
and berries with exotic spices and baked apple. Delicious melange of
dark red cherries and berries with nuances of dark chocolate, Moroccan
spices, anise, smoke, and savory herbs. The fruit is robust, virile and
mouth coating and persists through a generous finish. A whisper of
tannin makes for approachability now. A top-shelf Pinot Noir that has
the goods and balance to improve in the cellar over the next several years.
Reviewed June 22, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 175 cases, $60.
·
Intoxicating aromas of wild berries and
black cherries and other pheromone scents that make you giddy.
Structured and stuffed with an entirely seductive and ever-expanding
arsenal of dark red cherries, berries and currants underlain with a subtle
smokiness, haunting earthiness and a hint of mushrooms on the grill.
Enough tannins for the long haul and balancing acidity to hold the fruit in
check. The finish goes on and on, leading to a veritable winegasm. Still tightly
wound but considerable upside potential long term.
Reviewed June 22, 2010
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Clones 115, 777.
·
The
deepest colored wine in the lineup. Plenty of acidity that is hidden by the fruit richness present. Mouthcoating
aromas and flavors of fresh berries, mocha, and graham. A Lolita, but still hitting plenty of high
notes.
Reviewed July 19, 2008
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Aromas of bright cherries carry through to the finish.
Delicious and juicy, with lively acidity on the finish. Needs a little time to shed refined, but notable
tannins.
Reviewed July 19, 2008
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Exotic scents of wild berries, spices, and graham. Plummy dark fruit
with sinew which is brooding, rich and plush, but retains a degree of finesse.
Tangy acidity provides juiciness. A wine to contemplate.
Reviewed July 19, 2008
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Young Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Touch reduced at present.
Sweet red stone fruit charge with herbal and orange peel highlights. Immensely satisfying finish that
won’t let go.
Reviewed July 19, 2008
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Willow Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
3 barrels.
·
Complex and comforting
nose featuring cherries, floral perfume, and oak spice. Not particularly giving now with reticent
earth-imbibed cherry flavors. Quite gentle with finely ground tannins.
Reviewed July 19, 2008
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 225 cases,
$25. Sourced from clone 667 from Occidental Ridge, the youngest
block of Summa Vineyard and three barrels of Willow Creek Vineyard
that didn’t make the vineyard cut. Aged in 25% new French oak.
·
Very
pretty aromas of red and black cherries, wildflowers and cardamon
spice. Tasty potpourri of layered fruits including black cherries, black
raspberries, plums and pomegranate with hints of oak and earth. A lift of acidity
on the moderately persistent finish makes for easy drinkability. A good wine in its
own right that would compete with many wines priced significantly higher, but
outclassed by the other wines in the Rivers-Marie lineup. Drinkable now.
Reviewed July 9, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Willow Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.8% alc., 84 cases, $40. From a 2-
acre vineyard planted to Dijon clone 777. Aged in 33% new French oak.
·
Deep reddish-purple color. Very
attractive scents of black fruits, sandalwood and spices. A juicy Pinot Noir with vivid, fresh black cherry,
cranberry and raspberry fruits. Rich but not cloying with a smooth texture, a good acid spine and soft tannins.
Still seems a bit withdrawn and will benefit from decanting if drunk now.
Reviewed July 9, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.4% alc., 180 cases, $45. Clones 115 and 777. Aged in 40%
new French oak.
·
Complex aromatic profile of dark stone fruits, crushed
berries, sage, green garden and smoke. Rich and perfectly ripe black
raspberry fruit with an underpinning of earth, oak and orange peel.
Thick and robust, yet perfectly balanced with complimentary tannins and
acidity. The aromatic and fruity finish is haunting. A thoroughbred that challenges
the Summa Old Vines for superiority.
Reviewed July 9, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.2% alc., 120 cases, $45. Aged in 60% new French oak.
·
A wowzer nose featuring flamboyant
aromas of cherries and berries enhanced with subtle smoky oak. Beautiful core of cherry and berry
fruits with hints of pine tar, earth and cola. Packed with flavor yet nimble and harmonious. Smooth in
texture with a hint of citric peel on the pleasing finish. Accessible now but will reward patience. A
sixty-minute wine: rock ‘em, roll ‘em, all night long.
Reviewed July 9, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.4%
alc., 100 cases, $60. Aged in 100% new French oak.
·
The nose is similar
to the regular Summa bottling but with a magical and penetrating Asian
spice scent that smells like the most erotic pheromone in the world.
Unbelievably delicious sappy cherry and berry fruit with wisps of sassafras,
cola, and exotic spices. The velvety texture is enough to bring you to your
knees. An incredible wine that defies adequate description. Suffice it to
say that this is a winegasm - one of those Pinot Noirs with such a powerful
charisma, that it drives men to do practically anything to get another bottle.
Reviewed July 9, 2009
ARTICLE »
2006 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc.,140 cases, $40. Clones 115, 667, 777. Aged in 67% new oak.
·
Pie-spiced black cherries and cola carry the show from start-to-finish. A
complimentary citrus note adds zip and zing to the finish. All silk and satin
with an appealing elegance unique among this lineup of wines. This wine will
match much better with food than several of the heavyweight cult wines
tasted because of its lively acidity.
Reviewed August 19, 2008
ARTICLE »
2004 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 180 cases, $50. Sourced from Summa and Joya vineyards. Aged in 50% new French oak barrels.
·
This wine has a gorgeous nose of crushed plums, cherries and baking spices. A elegant Pinot lover's wine, it is beautifully composed with a silky mouth feel and a lively kick of acid on the pleasing finish which features cherries, mushrooms and a hint of oak. An extremely well-bred Saturday or Sunday wine.
Reviewed June 12, 2006
2009 Rivers-Marie B. Thieriot Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
13.9% alc., 116 cases. Aged in 60% new French oak barrels. 100% MLF. · Honey color (second to some botrytis) and clear in the glass. Faint aromas of apple crisp and toasty oak. Delicious and complex with vivid flavors of baked pears, baked apples, honey, yeast, creme soda, toasted coconut and some citrus peel bringing up the finish. Many of the flavors upon opening are oak-driven but tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, there was more aromatic interest and less oak influence. Nicely balanced and very smooth on the palate with a good grip of acidity. A unique Chardonnay that will please the adventurous. Cellar or decant if you drink now. Very good. Reviewed May 15, 2011 ARTICLE »
2009 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.9% alc., 279 cases, $25. A 12 barrel blend composed roughly of 50% Summa Vineyard (declassified), 25% Willow Creek Vineyard and 25% Lancel Creek Vineyard. Aged in 33% new French oak barrels. · Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. Aromas of ripe strawberries, dried rose petals and smoky oak. Redder fruits are featured in a slightly terse, almost steely wine with supple tannins, finishing with an acidic tang of grapefruit peel. An excellent wine for the dinner table. Good. Reviewed September 2, 2011 ARTICLE »
2009 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.5% alc., 133 cases, $45. Aged in 33% new French oak barrels.The grape berries were exceptionally small in 2009, composed of only skin and seed. · The resulting juice was dark purple. Dark black plum color in the glass. Aromas of blackberries, dark stone fruits, oak spice and slight reduction. Richly fruited with intense flavors of grilled black fruits, cassis and an underlying savory note. Bright acidity, soft tannins and a smooth mouth feel add to the appeal. This Pinot has as enough acidity to balance out the bold fruit. Very good. Reviewed September 2, 2011 ARTICLE »
2009 Rivers-Marie Silver Eagle Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 86 cases, $45. Aged in 50% new French oak barrels. Made with reduction so locked down since bottling. · Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. Reduction upon opening with a heavy scent of oak-derived coffee. Medium-weighted flavors of black cherries and dark red berries with smoky oak and coffee notes in the background. Impressive elegance and softness with a bright lift of acidity on the finish. Decanting recommended. Good (+). Reviewed September 2, 2011 ARTICLE »
2009 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.2% alc., 106 cases, $60. Aged in 80% new French oak barrels. · Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. An enticing and aromatically exotic nose featuring mixed berries and black cherries with a hint of toasty oak. Clearly the most intoxicating perfume in the lineup. Smooth and polished on the palate with ripe flavors of red plums and cranberries with an underpinning of savory herbs and oak. Similar to the Sonoma Coast bottling in its flavor profile, but with more body, flavor, mid-palate impression and nuance. A delicious wine that has the balance to age extremely well. There is really nothing else quite like a Pinot Noir from these old vines in the Summa Vineyard. Reviewed September 2, 2011 ARTICLE »
2008 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 225 cases, $25. An earlier drinking wine composed of younger blocks of Summa Vineyard and other barrels from Occidental Ridge and Willow Creek (production was tiny and all of it went into this bottling). · Exciting scents of boysenberries, brioche, seasoned oak and a swirl of spices. The most showy nose in the lineup. Discreetly rich in the mouth, with a wave of black cherries, dark berries, cola, smoke and savory herbs wrapped in peach-skin tannins that combine in a very pleasurable drinking experience. Very good. Reviewed June 22, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., pH 3.50, 225 cases, $45. · This one will make the hair on your neck stand erect. Lovely aromas of freshly picked red and black berries and cherries nicely spiced with hints of soak and sage. In the mouth I was at a loss for descriptors. My notes say, “Amazing fruit, want more, really attacks, great juice, class in the glass.” This wine has that California fruit viscosity that makes you proud to be an American, and an addictive and refreshing ending in which the fragrance returns to haunt the finish. It was scary that this wine was better later in the day from a bottle opened earlier in the morning. Imagine what this wine will be like in a couple of years! Reviewed June 22, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 200 cases, $45. · Enticing perfume of fresh red stone fruits and berries with exotic spices and baked apple. Delicious melange of dark red cherries and berries with nuances of dark chocolate, Moroccan spices, anise, smoke, and savory herbs. The fruit is robust, virile and mouth coating and persists through a generous finish. A whisper of tannin makes for approachability now. A top-shelf Pinot Noir that has the goods and balance to improve in the cellar over the next several years. Reviewed June 22, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 175 cases, $60. · Intoxicating aromas of wild berries and black cherries and other pheromone scents that make you giddy. Structured and stuffed with an entirely seductive and ever-expanding arsenal of dark red cherries, berries and currants underlain with a subtle smokiness, haunting earthiness and a hint of mushrooms on the grill. Enough tannins for the long haul and balancing acidity to hold the fruit in check. The finish goes on and on, leading to a veritable winegasm. Still tightly wound but considerable upside potential long term. Reviewed June 22, 2010 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Clones 115, 777. · The deepest colored wine in the lineup. Plenty of acidity that is hidden by the fruit richness present. Mouthcoating aromas and flavors of fresh berries, mocha, and graham. A Lolita, but still hitting plenty of high notes. Reviewed July 19, 2008 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Aromas of bright cherries carry through to the finish. Delicious and juicy, with lively acidity on the finish. Needs a little time to shed refined, but notable tannins. Reviewed July 19, 2008 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Exotic scents of wild berries, spices, and graham. Plummy dark fruit with sinew which is brooding, rich and plush, but retains a degree of finesse. Tangy acidity provides juiciness. A wine to contemplate. Reviewed July 19, 2008 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Young Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Touch reduced at present. Sweet red stone fruit charge with herbal and orange peel highlights. Immensely satisfying finish that won’t let go. Reviewed July 19, 2008 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Willow Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
3 barrels. · Complex and comforting nose featuring cherries, floral perfume, and oak spice. Not particularly giving now with reticent earth-imbibed cherry flavors. Quite gentle with finely ground tannins. Reviewed July 19, 2008 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc., 225 cases, $25. Sourced from clone 667 from Occidental Ridge, the youngest block of Summa Vineyard and three barrels of Willow Creek Vineyard that didn’t make the vineyard cut. Aged in 25% new French oak. · Very pretty aromas of red and black cherries, wildflowers and cardamon spice. Tasty potpourri of layered fruits including black cherries, black raspberries, plums and pomegranate with hints of oak and earth. A lift of acidity on the moderately persistent finish makes for easy drinkability. A good wine in its own right that would compete with many wines priced significantly higher, but outclassed by the other wines in the Rivers-Marie lineup. Drinkable now. Reviewed July 9, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Willow Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.8% alc., 84 cases, $40. From a 2- acre vineyard planted to Dijon clone 777. Aged in 33% new French oak. · Deep reddish-purple color. Very attractive scents of black fruits, sandalwood and spices. A juicy Pinot Noir with vivid, fresh black cherry, cranberry and raspberry fruits. Rich but not cloying with a smooth texture, a good acid spine and soft tannins. Still seems a bit withdrawn and will benefit from decanting if drunk now. Reviewed July 9, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.4% alc., 180 cases, $45. Clones 115 and 777. Aged in 40% new French oak. · Complex aromatic profile of dark stone fruits, crushed berries, sage, green garden and smoke. Rich and perfectly ripe black raspberry fruit with an underpinning of earth, oak and orange peel. Thick and robust, yet perfectly balanced with complimentary tannins and acidity. The aromatic and fruity finish is haunting. A thoroughbred that challenges the Summa Old Vines for superiority. Reviewed July 9, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.2% alc., 120 cases, $45. Aged in 60% new French oak. · A wowzer nose featuring flamboyant aromas of cherries and berries enhanced with subtle smoky oak. Beautiful core of cherry and berry fruits with hints of pine tar, earth and cola. Packed with flavor yet nimble and harmonious. Smooth in texture with a hint of citric peel on the pleasing finish. Accessible now but will reward patience. A sixty-minute wine: rock ‘em, roll ‘em, all night long. Reviewed July 9, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.4% alc., 100 cases, $60. Aged in 100% new French oak. · The nose is similar to the regular Summa bottling but with a magical and penetrating Asian spice scent that smells like the most erotic pheromone in the world. Unbelievably delicious sappy cherry and berry fruit with wisps of sassafras, cola, and exotic spices. The velvety texture is enough to bring you to your knees. An incredible wine that defies adequate description. Suffice it to say that this is a winegasm - one of those Pinot Noirs with such a powerful charisma, that it drives men to do practically anything to get another bottle. Reviewed July 9, 2009 ARTICLE »
2006 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.2% alc.,140 cases, $40. Clones 115, 667, 777. Aged in 67% new oak. · Pie-spiced black cherries and cola carry the show from start-to-finish. A complimentary citrus note adds zip and zing to the finish. All silk and satin with an appealing elegance unique among this lineup of wines. This wine will match much better with food than several of the heavyweight cult wines tasted because of its lively acidity. Reviewed August 19, 2008 ARTICLE »
2004 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 180 cases, $50. Sourced from Summa and Joya vineyards. Aged in 50% new French oak barrels. · This wine has a gorgeous nose of crushed plums, cherries and baking spices. A elegant Pinot lover's wine, it is beautifully composed with a silky mouth feel and a lively kick of acid on the pleasing finish which features cherries, mushrooms and a hint of oak. An extremely well-bred Saturday or Sunday wine. Reviewed June 12, 2006
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