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.
Silver Eagle is a thirty-acre vineyard situated among the rolling hills north of Occidental, in the Green Valley viticulture area, at the western edge of the Sonoma Coast.
Crimson in color. 14.1% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, cloves, citrus and flowers. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Packed with rich, earthy fruits. Impeccably balanced. Cherry, cranberry, blood orange and minerals on the palate. The finish is long and supple. Delicious Pinot Noir that has reached early maturity. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 92 points.
The 2022 version of this wine will be released early next 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 A Visit to Rivers-Marie and Updates from Rivers-Marie.