2022 Vivier - Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Gap's Crown Vineyard (750ml)

Stéphane Vivier grew up in a small Burgundian village, where he developed such a precocious palate that as a child he could identify what his mother was cooking just from the kitchen aromas. That early sensitivity to smell and taste eventually led him into winemaking, and his talent caught the attention of Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, who brought him to California to head his personal project, Hyde de Villaine. Vivier launched his own label with his wife, Dana, starting with just thirty cases funded on a single credit card, and has devoted himself fully to it since 2020.

Gap's Crown Vineyard sits on the western hillside of Sonoma Mountain within the Petaluma Gap, where cool ocean breezes and rocky, stressed soils create ideal conditions for Pinot Noir. Vivier sources fruit from this celebrated site alongside a handful of other prized Sonoma vineyards, applying a Burgundian sensibility to winemaking that favors restraint and precision over extraction. Only a small 276 cases of this particular bottling were produced.

The 2022 Gap's Crown offers bright aromas of red cherry, cranberry, and rose petal, layered with notes of earth and tea leaves that develop further with time in the glass. The palate is light-bodied, silky, and vibrant, carrying perfumed fruit through to a long, spice-tinged finish. It pairs beautifully with grilled trout, aged brie, or a charcuterie board.