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.
Kanzler Vineyard is located in western Sonoma County, just south of Bodega Highway on Sander’s Road and was planted in 1996.
Ruby red in color. 14.3% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, cloves, cola and forest floor. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Fruit forward and well balanced. Incredibly rich and silky. Black cherry, black raspberry, orange rind and mushrooms on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Classy Pinot Noir that has you longing for another glass. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 94 points.
Rivers-Marie no longer makes this wine. The other various single vineyard 2021 Pinots from River-Marie will be released later 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.