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.
Summa Vineyard was first planted in 1979. The vineyard sits on a pristine ridge top site on Taylor Lane west of the town of Occidental six miles inland from the Pacific coastline on the true Sonoma Coast.
Light red in color. 14.1% ABV. Exquisite nose of red fruits, orange rind, pine needles and forest floor. Medium body with just the right amount of acidity. Elegant, rich and classy. Cranberry, cherry cola, strawberry and cloves on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Gorgeous Pinot Noir from a great vintage on the Sonoma Coast. It is worth noting that I slightly preferred the 07 Summa regular bottling, when I last had it, several years ago. Ready to drink.
My rating: 94 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 in the coming weeks.
I’ve blogged about Rivers-Marie previously in the 2018 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings and Updates from Rivers-Marie.