2021 LaRue - Pinot Noir Sonoma Rice Spivak (750ml)

LaRue Wines was founded in 2009 by winemaker Katy Wilson, who built her career at respected coastal producers including Cobb Wines before launching her own label devoted to small lot Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast. Wilson has worked with Rice-Spivak Vineyard since LaRue's very first vintage, and from that initial harvest she recognized the site's distinct character. Her guiding philosophy centers on capturing each vineyard's individual fingerprint alongside the character of its particular growing season.

Rice-Spivak is a six acre vineyard south of Sebastopol, planted in 1999 on a distinctive mix of Goldridge sandy loam and volcanic ash. The site sits within a narrow band of the Sonoma Coast roughly seven to ten miles from the Pacific, where marine influence keeps conditions cool and breezy. Dijon and Swan clones planted here contribute to a wine defined by bright acidity and a pronounced mineral edge, and Wilson decides on a case by case basis how much whole cluster fruit to incorporate depending on vine age and the character of the vintage.

The wine offers bright red cherry, cranberry, and rose, layered with savory spice and a silky, energetic texture. Its cool climate structure gives it real length and lift on the finish. This wine pairs beautifully with roasted duck, mushroom risotto, or a simple herb roasted chicken.