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 several 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 by Steve Young 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.
Ruby red in color. 14.1% ABV. Beautiful nose of red fruits, citrus and forest floor. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Light and ethereal. Finesse and grace in spades. Strawberry, cranberry, earth and minerals on the palate. The finish on the wine is breathtaking. Stunning Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that has aged brilliantly. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 96 points.
The 2022 version of this wine will be released at some point later next year although I am unsure of the timing because the 2021 was released early after their was no 2020 vintage due to the fires.
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, A Visit to Rivers-Marie and Updates from Rivers-Marie.