Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Walsh have quickly made Rivers-Marie one of California’s most sought after Pinot Noir labels. The winery was founded in 2002 and the first release was the Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir. Rivers-Marie also does several single vineyard Cabernets and a Chardonnay. In addition to making his own wine, Thomas serves as a consultant for a number of wineries including Schrader, Outpost and Black Sears.
B. Thieriot Vineyard is not far from the town of Occidental on the Sonoma Coast and is also a fruit source for Littorai and Neyers.
Golden in color. 13.9% ABV. Apple, pear and lemon on the nose. Rich, oily and viscous. Light acidity. Lemon curd, pineapple, creme brûlée and just a little bit of vanilla on the palate. Great finish. Unapologetically New World in style. Lots to like here. Drink over the next year or so.
My rating: 92 points.
Rivers-Marie wines are only available via their mailing list. The 2012 version of this wine will be released next year and should be priced around $45.
I’ve blogged about Rivers-Marie previously in Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
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