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.
Crimson in color. 14.2% ABV. Sublime nose of blue and black fruits, molten licorice and Whitman Sampler box. Rich, decadent and perfectly balanced. Warm, supple and very approachable. Currants, cassis liqueur, blueberries and chocolate on the palate. Nice length on the finish with gritty tannins. Better than a bottle a little over a year ago. Super Cabernet Sauvignon from an uneven vintage. Best over the next 2-3 years.
My rating: 93 points.
The 2020 version of this wine was not released due to the fires that marred the vintage. Look for the 2021 version sometime next year. Historic pricing is $75 per bottle.
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.