2023 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard
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Tasting notes
From Anderson Valley, the 2023 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard boasts a bright ruby color and is lifted with a spicy and floral perfume, offering notes of fresh wildflowers, wild raspberries, fresh herbs, and fresh spices. It’s medium-bodied, with a chalky texture and well-defined, fine tannins, finishing clean. Drink 2025-2035. 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 spring to taste the wines for this report.
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Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard is very strong this year. Deeply aromatic but also tightly wound, the 2023 is far more reticent than most editions of this wine. For that reason, I would give this a year or two in bottle. Nervy tannins wrap around red cherry fruit, orange peel, white pepper, mint and dried herbs.