Fly Free: West Sonoma Coast AVA

Looking at you, newly minted West Sonoma Coast AVA. You and your super cool cooler climate craveable gulp-able delights.

The West Sonoma Coast AVA is within the Sonoma Coast AVA. Which is within Sonoma County. So why the need to separate? Is this just the typical the-smaller-the-region-the-more-elite-we’ll-be strategy? Well I guess not seeing as after eleven (my favorite number!) long years it was decided that the western wines were in fact different and unique.

Environmental factors are the key to these fresh af gems. The wines aren’t just cool, it’s literally cooler there. Cooler days. There’s less of a drastic shift from days to also cool nights. Way more fog and sea breeze. The result being temperatures ten degrees cooler than the rest of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Grapes ripen slowly and hold on to that precious acidity that makes them so refreshing. As you maybe possibly would imagine, this cooler climate does well for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They grow a smidge of Syrah to boot.

Now, the AVA is new. So there are not West Sonoma Coast bottling yet, but I gave a taste to a couple of members of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners–can you guess who was leading the charge to getting the AVA approved? Is there a stylistic difference? Yes. Yay! I look forward to tasting these when the officially West Sonoma Coast AVA bottlings come out.

In the meantime, here’s my thoughts. So far. Wine is a living and breathing and evolving thing. Here’s this year’s far west findings!

32 Winds Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019

Holy yes please. In a blind tasting I honestly might at least think this was an Oregon bottling, or maybe even Santa Rita Hills bottle. Aka the fruit is ripe but elegantly so. It smells of ripe black cherries, pomegranates, baking spices, and roses. The tannins are ever so well woven. On the palate you get all the aromatics plus a hint of dried earth, dried herbs and maybe even a touch of truffle and vanilla finish vibes. A quaffable wine–the alcohol is a modest 12.7%. But also a slow-sip-worthy one.

Raen Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert Pinot Noir 2019

The name of the winery stands for “Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally”. Terrifically between ethereal wafting sweet cherry aromas and grounded textured tannins. Um, they don’t say if there is oak at play but I think there has to be some. A touch of licorice, thyme, and…even a smidge of–is that menthol?–perhaps. Whatever it is I fucks with it.

Mine. All mine.

I am a wine slut. I get into this..then that…and in the moment what I have is my true love. For flavor. I’m different with humans. Even though I’d argue each wine is its own person. Just not human.

I am a wine polyagomist. I have enough tastebuds to love a whole lotta fluids. From grapes. Grapes. Wrest ye minds from zee gutters.

What I am saying is while in a person I want one, in my grapes I am a flagrant harlot seeking pleasure.

2015 J Wine Monterey County/Sonoma County/Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

This one is a surprising pleasure.

It was surprising in that I was not expecting it when boom! FedEx was at my door. Thank you Gallo publicists.

I know you are thinking “that is one grape!” It is just Pinot Noir!

But look more closely at the bottle. This is Monterey County + Sonoma County + Santa Barbara County and the same grape is wildly different depending which of those locations it is grown.

Let us be more specific. In Monterey it is Santa Lucia Highlands. In Sonoma it is Russian River. And then in general Santa Barbera.

I don’t need my loves to know their entire genetic past. As with wine this is enough because it is good in my…okay it is good. Great even. For a 25 buck wine (I did not buy but that is the suggested price) this is QUITE do-able.

I am probably more picky with men but maybe I should move past this metaphor.

This wine has the elements of its main three regions. There is the jammy nature of Santa Barbara where SoCal heats things up. There is the red fruit and chipper acid of Monterey where coastal breezes keep things from being jammy. Then there are the bright cherry notes and elegant tannins which are gripping yet drying but not unpleasantly so from Sonoma. Those coastal breezes counteract brutal sun.So blend those three grapes together and it is a damned fine wine.

Heck. I LOVE when something I did not expect arrives at my door AND is SUPER good. Hell.

Life is good. Kiss the ones you love. Hold their hands. And then…drink the shit out of whatever beverage you wish because monogamy is for people.

Free love is for grapes.