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.
Gioia Vineyard is a southeast facing steeply sloped Sonoma Coast vineyard nestled in the redwoods at the corner of Joy Road and Fitzpatrick Lane near Occidental. The vineyard is located approximately 7 miles from the ocean, and in 1998 was replanted to Pinot Noir with Pommard & Dijon clones.
Ruby red in color. 14.1% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, citrus and flowers. Light to medium body with exquisite acidity. Crisp and elegant with crunchy, tart fruits. Cherry, orange rind, nutmeg and a hint of fresh tomato on the palate. Nice length on the finish. Reminiscent of some of the early Aston wines. Easy to drink but not quite on par with some of the other SVD’s from Rivers-Marie. Best over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 91 points.
Gioia Vineyard is no longer being bottled by Rivers-Marie.
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 and Chardonnay programs are 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 recently in A Visit to Rivers-Marie.