Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Welsh have 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.
The 2023 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was sourced almost entirely from Riddle Vineyard, with a small addition of a few barrels of Block 3 from Bodega Thieriot Vineyard.
Bright crimson in color. 14.1% ABV. Savory nose of red fruits, roasted herbs and flowers. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. Tremendous structure and concentration. Black cherry, plum, pomegranate and minerals on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. More brooding than recent vintages of this wine and to that end this Pinot Noir could use a little time in the cellar. I’ll open another bottle in 2028.
My rating: 93 points.
The 2025 version will be released early next year to members of the mailing list.
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.