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. In addition to the line up of Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs, Rivers-Marie also makes a few single vineyard Cabernets and Chardonnay. Thomas is in high demand and serves as a consultant for a number of wineries including Schrader and Outpost.
Gioia is a 2-acre vineyard just west of Occidental on Joy Road, about a mile from Summa Vineyard.
Light red in color. Almost translucent. 13% ABV. Pretty nose of red fruits, cloves, baking spices and pine needles. Medium body with medium acidity. Elegant and delicate. Cherry, cranberry, blood orange and earth on the palate. Medium length on the finish. Very good Pinot Noir that only pales when compared to some of the other single vineyard designates in the Rivers-Marie lineup. Best over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 91 points.
Rivers-Marie wines are only available via their mailing list. Sign up for the mailing list if you have not done so already. The 2018 Pinot Noir release will take place next Spring.
I’ve blogged about Rivers-Marie previously in the 2018 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings and Updates from Rivers-Marie.