Now for the wines:

2009 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast—279 cases, 13.9% alc., 33% new oak

This 12 barrel blend is comprised of roughly 50% Summa, 25% Willow Creek and 25% Lancel Creek, a new site for us leased by Ulises Valdez and planted to 777 and Pommard clones. The reason for the high percentage of Summa is for the first time there will be no regular Summa bottling. The quality just wasn’t there. Still not sure why, but the wine lacked punch in the mid-palate so it was an easy decision to declassify it into our Sonoma Coast blend. That naturally has lead to this bottling leaning more toward the Summa red/orange fruit spectrum than any previous SC offering. The nose draws you in with notes of high toned pomegranate, cranberry, orange peel and coriander. The palate balances fruit and savory combining baking spices and black cherry with a little sous bois. The result is a very clean, very pure expression of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

2009 Rivers-Marie Silver Eagle Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast—86 cases, 14.2% alc., 50% new oak

We mentioned our excitement about this vineyard in last year’s newsletter and now all 4 barrels are in bottle. We have also managed to make a wine with reduction for the first time ever. The wine was pretty open knit pre-bottling, but given the wine’s extract and a healthy dose of sulfur, it has been locked down ever since. The last bottle we opened we decanted, returned to bottle, left on the kitchen counter and drank 24 hours later. It finally had a lot to say. True garnet in color, it has the darkest, most brooding nose of the bunch. The palate ranges from high-toned early to sappy in the middle with a weight that belies the youth of the vineyard. It’s more of a purple fruited wine with notes of plums, currants, barrel spice and white flowers. This will be one to keep your hands off of for a few years to allow the reduction and baby fat to subside.

2009 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast—133 cases, 13.5% alc., 33% new oak

This is unlike anything we’ve ever made before and what leads us to state that individually, the 2009s are as different from each other as we’ve ever seen. One of the features of 2009 that contributed to such a small crop was a phenomenon people call chicks and hens or peas and pumpkins; clusters full of alternating sized berries. The peas at Occidental Ridge were exceptionally small in ’09, some comprised of only skin and seed. Twenty-four hours after de-stemming the fruit into tank, the juice was already dark purple. In the glass I’d call it electric purple due to the high acidity we see from the vineyard every year. The common thread that links this vintage to the four previous bottlings is there, but everything is amplified in 2009. It is once again a pure purple fruited wine with an aromatic and palate profile of cut hay, plum, menthol, and pennyroyal, a mint we found growing wild in the vineyard. We have slowly eased off the new oak each year and this edition wears its wood treatment better than any previous vintage.

2009 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast—106 cases, 13.2% alc., 80% new oak

We’ve run out of original things to say about this wine. Every year we try to figure out where the current bottling ranks among previous editions and this year I’m at a loss. I finally have to admit I simply love this vineyard and the wine it produces and leave it at that. There’s really nothing we’ve come across that tastes like it. The 2009 does a nice job once again of balancing its fruit and savory components. The high-toned red fruit/orange peel quality is there to give the wine its aromatics balanced nicely on the palate by cut hay, black tea, pine needles and a sous bois element that manages to be sweetly savory. The wine is packed with dry extract and remarkably weighty for 13.2% alcohol. It is pretty awe inspiring to drink this wine knowing that this great site will always be a part of Rivers-Marie.

2009 Rivers-Marie B. Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay Sonoma Coast—116 cases, 13.9% alc., 60% new oak

Some day we will make more of this. Once again we’ve bottled 5 barrels of Chardonnay and given the following, we expect it to go quickly. Like the 2007 and 2008, it’s the cut in this wine that we like the most. There’s plenty of richness to go around but the acid spine is what sets the wine apart from most other California Chardonnays. The notes across the three vintages are similar: lanolin, lemon meringue, lime blossom, hazelnuts and a hint of white chocolate on the finish. This might be the most accessible of the three vintages given our gradual reduction in the percentage of new oak. Regardless we like the precision the acid lends to the wine now knowing it will only improve and broaden over time.

The Library:

2008 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast-- 225 cases, 13.8% alcohol, 25% new French

This is the $25 Pinot we first set out to make. Combining all the Willow Creek, the two youngest blocks of Summa and two barrels from Occidental Ridge, the 2008 Sonoma Coast captures everything we love about the fruit from Occidental. It’s already the most aromatically complete of the bunch jumping out of the glass with sassafras, pine needles, orange peel and a light floral note. Whereas the 2007 version was the drinker of the vintage, the 2008 may take a little time to unwind unless it’s given ample air. It’s always a snapshot into what the vintage holds and this shows the higher toned nature of the year perfectly.

2008 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast-- 225 cases, 14.4% alcohol, 40% new French

Our one offering from the east side of Occidental, this wine is always a study in contrast. It’s the warmest site but it has the highest acid. It has the longest growing season but the lowest pH. The fruit here gets riper than any other site but the wine features the greatest quantity of fruit tannin. These are the things now four years into it that make this site special. The wine has a seamlessness to it right now that the other three Pinots in this offering don’t have. It’s the most mouth coating of the bunch as well with a bigness that is buffered nicely by its 3.5 pH. Being on the border of Sonoma Coast and Russian River it features qualities of both retaining a sour cherry coastal flavor while flirting with blacker fruits of a more plummy nature.

2008 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast — 200 cases, 14.1% alcohol, 60% new French

We continue to be impressed by the evolution of this block within Summa Vineyard. You can always taste the kinship between this wine and its old vine sibling but now there’s a firm identity present here. The regular Summa bottling shows mineral notes, pomegranate, red/orange fruit peel, forest floor like the Old Vines but this wine is deeper, denser and rounder. It has a mid-palate sappiness to it that we shoot for in all our wines, a trait we’ve come to love in great Burgundies. There’s more generosity in this wine right now and like the Occidental Ridge bottling might be the wine to open first in 2008. 2008 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast — 175 cases, 13.0% alcohol, 100% new French oak The most focused wine of the 2008 vintage, the Summa Old Vines tastes like a wine that has been fully realized. As we said above, there is similarity between the two Summa bottlings but the Old Vines has a broader palate due, we assume, to vine age. This is always a wine to contemplate and the 2008 is no different. Beginning with notes of white and red flowers, orange peel, licorice and kirsch, the nose has an ethereal quality that makes Pinot Noir so seductive. There’s a big mid palate acid blast that more than balances the brooding nature of the wine. The acidity helps to flesh out the finish and give the wine its verve. We like the tautness of the wine right now but there’s no doubt it will age gracefully and add some sweetness as it develops. 2008 Rivers-Marie B. Thieriot Chardonnay Sonoma Coast —126 cases, 13.5% alcohol, 70% new French oak

Without talking overall quality, we simply did a better job of making this wine in 2008. The raw material and potential quality of the two vintages was very similar. Though instead of treating the 2008 as one lot, we monitored every barrel as individual wines to make sure we could track fermentation completion as it happened. In hindsight I believe our lack of this approach for the 2007 allowed too much of that wine to sit unsulfured for way too long. The 2008 has a strong acid spine and features a more green-gold color and a freshness to the palate that the 2007 is missing. Otherwise the notes are very similar between the two vintages: lime blossoms, Meyer lemon, wet stones, lightly toasted hazelnuts and a hint of white chocolate at the end. There is more persistence to the finish of this wine than any other wine we’ve ever made. The 2007 seemed like a wine that would require patience, the 2008 definitely will.

2007 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast-- 225 cases, 14.2% alcohol, 25% new French oak

This is the drinker in the bunch much like its predecessor. It’s a punched up version of the 2006 and a good snapshot into the qualities that make 2007 a superior vintage. This bottling consists of the clone 667 from Occidental Ridge, the youngest block of Summa and three barrels of Willow Creek that didn’t make the vineyard cut. It’s a nice mix of red and black fruits owing to its vineyard diversity and very coastal in nature minus the firm spine that winds the vineyard bottlings up for a couple years.

2007 Rivers-Marie Willow Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast-- 84 cases, 13.8% alcohol, 33% new French oak

This small 2 acre vineyard is planted entirely to Dijon clone 777. I’d also put this in the drinker category for the vintage. The nose is effusive with violets, black raspberry, citrus peel and sandalwood. Its overall roundness gives the wine appeal from the first sip with some purple fruits, black tea and orange marmalade. The sappy Pinot fruit quality overrides both the acid spine and fruit tannin common on the coast making for the most immediate appeal of all the vineyard designates.

2007 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast-- 180 cases, 14.4% alcohol, 40% new French oak

We fermented two lots of Occidental Ridge fruit in 2007. One combining clones 115 and 777 and the other exclusively 667. After watching the wines mature for 10 months it became clear the first lot would make up the vineyard bottling and the second would go to the Sonoma Coast. They both were classic expressions of the site with an incredibly exotic blend of spine (sub 3.4 pHs) and black fruits. The 115/777 combo possessed ample richness to balance the acid while the 667 proved to be a little shrill. This wine went head to head with the Summa Old Vines for our very own wine of the vintage. The nose is explosive with black and purple fruits, camphor, smoke and redcurrants. The entry consists of more black fruits, wild mint and sassafras. The wall of fruit tannin and acid backbone comes up quickly and this wine, like the ’05 and ’06, will need time to swallow both. The black fruited profile might suggest a wine with greater accessibility but not in this case. This alone makes the Occidental Ridge expression unique.

2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast— 120 cases, 13.2% alcohol, 60% new French oak

This wine has shades of its 2005 version. The nose has a reductive quality that features elements of sandalwood, orange oil, sour cherry and ripe red Pinot aromas. The floral qualities come on quickly as well with rose petals, lavender and pine needles. The class in the Summa bottlings is really what sets them apart from the rest of the portfolio. Cola, sassafras, cut hay and wet earth combine with the orange/red fruit profile to make this the most coastal of all the bottlings. This even more than the Old Vine wine might take the longest to come around. A couple years in the cellar minimum will be required to see this wine even out.

2007 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast— 100 cases, 13.4% alcohol, 100% new French oak

Every year a couple of the 100 or so lots I’m responsible for press of in a state that hints at their youthful greatness. In 2007 that was the 1.5 tons of Summa Old Vines. You could smell and taste the vine age in the wine. It’s an amped up version of the regular Summa bottling but more than anything it just possesses more depth and Pinot sap than all the other wines. All the components integrate nicely from the highly expressive nose and big entry to the sappy middle and forever finish. All the normal descriptors are there, red fruits, orange oil, lavender, wintergreen, sassafras, rhubarb, violets, but it’s the weight of the wine that makes it the best wine we bottle every year. It’s a wine to contemplate as it opens. It’s youthfully sublime, what we always come back to with a glimpse into the future and its coming greatness.

2007 Rivers-Marie B. Thieriot Chardonnay Sonoma Coast—120 cases, 13.9% alcohol, 100% new French oak

3.18 finished pH. I keep writing that down to become more comfortable with it. We can’t say this is a dead ringer for white Burgundy but we’ve heard the comparisons from the dozen or so folks who’ve tasted it. It has liquid mineral, honeyed, lime zest, brioche and white chocolate qualities that suggest it might not be from California until the power of the wine takes over in the finish. The nose can go from fully open to reticent very quickly suggesting it will need some time in bottle to settle down. It was fermented in 100% new wood to tame the acidity and it is barely evident in the wine. The wine was finished in stainless for 2 months after 10 months in oak and bottled without fining or filtration. Because of the pH, malo did not finish until August of last year so the wine was allowed extra time to development as a complete wine compared to the Pinots. We are extremely excited to be making Chardonnay from this illustrious vineyard located directly across the street from Summa.

2006 Rivers-Marie Willow Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast-- 94 cases, 14.1% alcohol, 50% new French oak. This small 2 acre vineyard is planted entirely to Dijon clone 777. After two years of removing all the fruit from the vines to allow for some maturity, it was a relief to see the 1.5 tons per acre we received in 2006.  The character of the wine lies somewhere in between Summa and Occidental Ridge.  The nose begins shyly, opening to a very floral, citrusy quality with air.  The middle is very sappy and sweet with elements of spearmint gum, dusty cherry, tobacco and orange peel.  We believe this is a very promising start for a vineyard located in one of the best areas in Occidental.

2006 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast-- 301 cases, 14.4% alcohol, 50% new French oak. A darker fruited and brooding example of Occidental Pinot Noir, the ’06 ORV is a curious blend of power and restraint.  The fruit profile is all black cherry and blackberries, indicating a warmer site than the other bottlings, but this wine possesses the highest natural acidity of all the wines in 2006.  A lot of people will no doubt confuse this acidity with heat but rest assured this wine will just take time to absorb its 3.5 finished pH.  The 2005 has followed a similar path.  The acidity marks the wine from nose to middle to finish and I would recommend sitting on this one for a while.  If you have a tolerance for backbone, this wine is enjoyable now balanced by a good bit of underlying sappiness.

2006 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast—163 cases, 13.9% alcohol, 57% new French oak. This wine reminds me of the 2004 version.  It’s what I think of when I think of true Sonoma Coast Pinot.  The balance in this wine is what I keep coming back to when tasting it.  The nose begins with a red/orange fruit combo (sour cherry/orange peel mainly), lavender and rose petals.  On entry, the palate possesses a cola/sassafras quality that runs to the very end of the wine along with fresh mushrooms, cut hay, pine needles and a general wet earth/forest floor component.  The finish for this edition of the wine is long and surprisingly approachable due largely to the extended hangtime in 2006.

2006 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast —62 cases, 13.7% alcohol, 100% new French oak. We are very happy to reintroduce this wine to the lineup (and anxiously await getting to the 2007).  The wine begins with a soaring nose of spice box, cinnamon, rhubarb and red fruits.  The old vine extract in this wine helps take it to deeper and broader dimensions of the similar profile it shares with the regular Summa bottling.  This wine ventures into the land of palate texture deeper than any of our wines before it.  The big acid dollop and new wood component comes to the forefront only to be beaten back by the concentration of fruit and general extract.  This wine is a lot more forward than its 2004 edition but will still benefit from some air and should age gracefully for a decade plus.

2002 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir-  88 cases produced, 50% new French oak, 13.3% alc.

2002 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Pinot Noir-  44 cases produced, 100% new French oak, 14.4% alc.

2003 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir- 101 cases produced, 50% new French oak, 13.3% alc.

2003 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Pinot Noir-  44 cases produced, 100% new French oak, 13.8% alc.

2004 Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir-  180 cases produced, 50% new French oak, 14.2% alc.  This is a blend of two Occidental vineyards, Joya and Summa (first crop fruit from a block planted in 2002), blended in equal proportions.  Joya is a slightly warmer site planted to 113 and Pommard clones.  This wine is a bit more accessible than the Summa wines.  Joya provides the power and Summa the finesse.  There are elements of both red and black fruits in the wine and a lingering richness that showcases Joya's warmer nature.  The nose is very floral and full of bright red fruits with an almost citrusy zest to it.  The palate is much darker with plum, black currant, damp forest floor and pomegranate notes.  The finish is firm with the coastal structure very apparent in the first glass.

2004 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir-  130 cases produced, 75% new French oak, 14.1% alc. This becomes a more serious wine every year.   The '04 Summa Vineyard possesses notes of currant, lavender, forest floor, fresh mushrooms, red raspberries, blueberries and fig.  The finish is dominated by a very Russian River/Sonoma Coast cola/sassafras quality which speaks of the clone (Swan) probably as much as the soil (goldridge loam).  There is also a cut hay/pine needle quality to the finish that seems to be a trademark of cool climate Pinots.

2004 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Pinot Noir-  60 cases produced, 100% new French oak, 14.2% alc.  By far the most backward wine we've produced, the 2004 Summa Old Vines has a strong spice box, violets/rose petal and wet stone like nose.  Its structure and firm acidity easily absorb the new oak.  The palate displays cola, cranberry, black cherry, forest floor, pine needle, crushed stones and plum notes.  With a pH below 3.5, the wine will take a couple years in bottle to show all its richness and should lay down for a decade.

2005 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir-  140 cases produced, 67% new French oak, 14.2% alc.  This is a little bit of a departure for us.  Grown on the east side of Occidental and planted to Dijon clones 115, 667 and 777, our first ORV Pinot has a more black fruited core when compared to our previous wines.  The aromas are darker as well:  blackberries, cola, sassafras, forest floor.  The wine has more purple hues compared to the Summa's electric red/black center.  Before you begin thinking we've changed our style, the most intriguing thing about this wine might be its acid profile.  The '05 Occidental Ridge is the lowest pH wine we made from the vintage (even lower than the Summa Old Vines) clocking in around 3.6.  All the coastal brashness is there along with a good dollop of tannin and acidity to carry the finish.  We are very pleased to have added Darla and Richard Radcliffe's Occidental Ridge Vineyard to the fold and look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.

2005 Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir- 45 cases produced, 100% new French oak, 13.7% alc.  This wine needs time.  Every bottle we open takes a solid 3 hours to pop open.  The wine is massive with all the coastal structure hiding the fruit at the moment.  The nose makes the experience at present, pure Pinot aromatics.  The wine remains true to Summa:  red raspberries, red currants, orange peel, tea leaves, pine needles, wintergreen, cranberries and every other red fruit you can imagine.  The wine is medium colored, a bit cloudy and ruby/garnet.  Summa yielded .33 tons per acre in 2005.

2005 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines Pinot Noir-  54 bottles produced, 1 new quarter barrel, 14.1% alc. We won't torture you with notes.