2021 Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge is a searing, tannic wine that is going to need a few years to come together. In this range, bright acids and structure dominate. In this vintage, the Occidental Ridge is pretty closed, with less of the charm it often shows. Red-toned fruit, sage, mint, chalk, white pepper and a touch of whole cluster nuance lend notable flavor complexity throughout.
Critic scores
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com
More reviews and scores
A more savory and brambly personality emerges from the 2021 Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard, with wild herbs, ripe cherry, and orange zest. Medium to Full-bodied, with a seamless feel of fresh acidity, a soft texture, fine tannins, and a note of black raspberry, the freshness really lifts with ripeness off the palate, with a focused feel. Long on the palate, it’s drinking beautifully now and will drink well over the next 10 or so years. Owned by Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh and based in Calistoga, Rivers Marie specializes in single varietal, single vineyard expressions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of Sonoma's most prolific winemakers and consultants, Thomas Rivers Brown grew up in South Carolina and later went on to work at Turley before carving his own path forward. I met with Thomas and Will Segui, the assistant winemaker, at the Calistoga winery this May to taste the wines for this report. Having been hit incredibly hard in 2020, their 2021s are showing even better than I could have anticipated from last year’s barrel samples. These are some of the best wines I have ever tasted from Rivers Marie, with exceptional balance and finesse.