Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Welsh 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.
Occidental Ridge Vineyard is situated on a wind-swept, sun drenched promontory above the little town of Occidental on the Sonoma Coast.
Crimson in color. 14.2% ABV. Pretty nose of red fruits, citrus, baking spices and forest floor. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Rich, plush and exceedingly elegant. Black cherry, cranberry, pomegranate and cola on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long and seamless. Classy Pinot Noir that is aging gracefully. What a delight. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 94 points.
The 2019 version of this wine was released earlier this year.
I have been on the Rivers-Marie mailing list for well over 15 years. For me the Pinot Noir was always the main attraction here but the Cabernet program is really second to none when you factor in price and quality. Rivers-Marie wines are only available via their mailing list. Sign up for the mailing list if you have not done so already.
I’ve blogged about Rivers-Marie previously in the 2020 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings and Updates from Rivers-Marie.