Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2020

In the early 2000s David Low, Anthony Filiberti, and Webster Marquez met while working at Williams-Selyem. A post-harvest road trip through the Willamette Valley inspired them to form their own winery, one especially focused on crafting pinot noirs that are expressive of the varietal and terroir of Northern California, using “natural” winemaking techniques while maintaining a classic style. Eschewing the riper style that defines the vast majority of California pinots, they practice elegant restraint, with an emphasis on balance and freshness. They work with some of the best biodynamic growers in the state, with fruit sourced from cool climate locations in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The Sonoma Coast cuvée comes from barrel selections from five different vineyards within the Sonoma Coast AVA, biodynamically farmed on sandy loam soils. Hand harvested fruit is fermented with ambient yeast, with 50% left whole cluster. Daily punch downs occur for three weeks, and aging takes place for 12 months in French oak (15% new). The wine is bottled without racking, fining, or filtering, with only a small amount of sulfur added. Both Cali pinot devotées and Burgundy fans will find lots to love here, with layers of delicate red cherry, cranberry, rose petal, dashes of black pepper and cardamom, and hints of earthy forest floor. Biodynamically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.