Red Car - West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021 750ml (13.6% abv)
Utilizing fruit farmed and grown from our own network of vineyards along the West Sonoma Coast, our 2023 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a culmination of our favorite selections in one bottle. The 2023 harvest commenced with the Calera selection at Heaven & Earth, followed by Pommard. These two clones bring layered fruits, spice, and natural concentration to the blend. At the Red Car Estate in the upper reaches of the Fort Ross – Seaview AVA, the Jackson 16 clone provides aromatic lift, high-toned red fruit, and tense energy. Fruit from each of these sites is farmed organically, harvested, and fermented separately in small lots where we utilized 15% whole-cluster. This blend was aged for 11 months in 85% neutral and 15 % new French Oak barrels before being bottled un-fined and un-filtered. The blending of this wine allows us to be creative in our process, incorporating the most unique attributes from our vineyard sites to work together in unison and tell the story of the vintage
Wild blackberry, pomegranate, baking spice
Red Car was founded in 2000 by current owner, Richard Crowell, along with partners Mark Estrin and Caroll Kemp. The Red Car story started with a shared bottle of Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle, which inspired them to try and emulate one day in California. The trio decided to purchased one ton of Syrah and made the first 50 cases in a spare bedroom in Culver City. The first 50 cases sold quickly, and Red Car was officially established as a business. These humble beginnings expanded to include a winery space in Santa Maria and contracts for additional fruit. The follow-up wines received high praise and accolades from the critics and Red Car quickly established itself as a top, though perhaps somewhat under-the-radar, producer in the California wine scene.
Although their early wines were a hit, they concluded that they were not yet making wines like that Northern Rhone Syrah that originally inspired them. They then set their sights on the cool, marginal climate of Western Sonoma, specifically the wild coastal ridges north of Bodega Bay known as the True Sonoma Coast. The cool temperature, like that of the Northern Rhone, would allow the fruit to ripen slowly and develop the savory complexity and depth they wanted. It would be a big commitment, but they were all in…
In 2003, the trio bought 128 acres of raw land in Cazadero perched 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean. As Crowell said, “we all had a visceral reaction the first time driving out to the property. Winding down River Road to Jenner then up Meyers grade to King Ridge passing through forests of old growth redwood, oak and manzanita, and remote vineyards cooled by ocean breezes. Hawks circled above the trees as sunshine pushed the morning fog back out to sea. It was quite an introduction.”
Despite its remote location, Red Car was not alone in these parts. Their new neighbors included Hirsch, Marcassin, Flowers, Peay and a handful of others who had already crafted beautiful wines from vines struggling to produce in this cool and rugged environment. In order to continue to make their mark, they hired local winemaker David Ramey as a consultant, as well as Daniel Roberts to help select clones and Ulises Valdez to plant and farm the vineyard. Besides this ambitious estate planting, they also sought out several high-quality sites in the area to create a full range of both appellation and vineyard-designated offerings (Platt, Ritchie, Doc’s Ranch, Zephyr Farms, Falstaff, Vivio, Hawk Hill, Manchester Ridge and the Hagan Vineyard). In addition, they found an old tractor dealership in Sebastopol that would become the home of Red Car’s winery and tasting room.
Today, Richard Crowell now owns Red Car solely due to the passing of this dear friend Mark Estrin, and Caroll Kemp moving on to a new project in 2018. As Red Car has evolved, they have streamlined their business, paring back the number of vineyards and bottlings in order to present a simpler, more cohesive brand that defined their so-called “True North”: the coastal soils, the proximity to the Pacific Ocean, and the unique geography and terroir of this special and unique wine growing area.
At present, the farming for all of the Red Car sites is now under the watch of Greg Adams, an accomplished and widely respected Viticulturalist. In the cellar, Tanner Scheer oversees the winemaking using a deft hand so as to maintain the site-specific qualities of the fruit. The Red Car wines are truly identifiable by the extreme nature and cool climate of their vineyards. They possess incredible vibrancy of fruit with transparency and elegance, along with a purity and persistence on the palate. Not surprisingly, they are crafted in a very non-interventional way with native yeast fermentations , extended lees aging, very little new oak, stem inclusion for Pinot Noir and Syrah, as well as no fining and filtration.
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95pts J Suckling
This is really contrasty with hibiscus, lemon peel and al dente fruit. Peaches. It’s medium-bodied, racy and bright with fantastic length and tangy fruit. Vibrant. Better in a year but already such presence and freshness. Crunchy is the word. Drink or hold
94 pts Vinous
The 2021 Pinot Noir (West Sonoma Coast) is superb. Dark and enveloping, the appellation Pinot is lights out. Dark cherry, menthol, licorice, sage and chocolate fill out the layers in an expansive, deep Pinot. Drought and stress seem to have amplified the fruit in this decidedly heady, exotic Pinot from Red Car. The 2021 is a blend from the Heaven and Earth and the Estate vineyards, both of which are planted to Calera and Pommard clones. Readers who want to explore the Red Car wines will want to check this out. Superb.
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