Riverain Silver Eagle Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2018

Laurie and Dean Gray began their Napa story when they bought a beautiful home in Rutherford near the Napa River to be able to welcome friends with whom they could share new experiences and create wonderful memories with. Along with their close friend and business partner, Steve Nordhoff, they quickly “gained an appreciation and working knowledge of what it takes to make consistently great wine.” The hook was definitely set as they slipped deeper into the fever of the valley by spending countless hours researching vineyards, subsequently landing impressive fruit contracts with some of the Napa Valley’s finest vineyards while also signing Thomas Rivers Brown, a truly gifted craftsman, as their winemaker. Finding a word to reflect how their lives have evolved over the past decade led them to a historical French term Riverain which means “near the river” and also refers to “friendly locals.” After having the sheer enjoyment of tasting and sharing the past three vintages of their renowned Cabernet Sauvignon, we are honored to present their latest venture ~ a mesmerizing Pinot Noir debut! This is a 5-year project in the making and today it finally became a reality for these longtime friends of ours. Let it be known, this is a serious, full-bodied Pinot Noir that is honest and expressive, driven by the terroir of this historic site and of course the magic that Thomas creates in all of his wines. After all, he is the man many consider to be the “100-Point King,” and the one behind so many phenomenal wines such as Schrader, Saunter, Selah, Maybach, Swagger, Revana, Rivers-Marie, Pulido~Walker and the list goes on with many more crowd-pleasing wines that hopefully are safely stocked in your cellar. After years of pestering Thomas, Dean and Steve finally convinced him to produce Pinot Noir for Riverain utilizing highly sought-after fruit from the famous Silver Eagle Vineyard (now owned and farmed by the dedicated family of legendary grape grower Ulises Valdez) overlooking the Sonoma Coast. With gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, this beautifully farmed property is producing some of the best California Pinot Noirs in the market. The few winemakers lucky enough to have access to fruit from this site know how truly fortunate they are. Winemaking enthusiasts would die for the opportunity to work with fruit from this site and will often wait years before their time comes and access is granted. As you may or may not know, there are many challenges when growing Pinot Noir. It’s a fickle grape that wants cool mornings, warm afternoons and calm, often fog-shielded nights. For all these reasons, it’s best to leave this varietal to the experts and there is no greater vineyard expert than Ulises Valdez. His passion for the grapevine and its cultivation met only by his passion for the United States of America, manifested by the fabled American Dream and what can be achieved with a vision, determination and a positive attitude. Ulises grew up with two donkeys and no electricity in an adobe hut in a small town in southern Mexico. At just eight years old, he was forced to drop out of school to support his family after his father passed away. At age ten, the small child made a solo move to Mexico City in search of better paying work and by age 12, he had hired a man to teach him how to read and write. When a friend of his proposed that they move to the U.S. to be able to better support their families, 16-year-old Ulises knew he must go. Landing himself in Cloverdale, California within the Sonoma Valley, Ulises found work in a vineyard. In the decades that followed, Ulises developed one of the finest vineyard management companies in California, overseeing over 1,000 acres of grapevines that northern California has become known for. His tragic passing in September of 2018 marked a devastating loss for the wine community, however so many of us remain incredibly grateful for Ulises’s unrivaled dedication and passion for tending vines. His family has committed themselves to maintaining his legacy, adhering to the standards they learned directly from him so as to not miss a beat in his absence. The Occidental site where the Silver Eagle Vineyard is situated is one of the best regions for producing this fussy varietal because of its great draining soil and the proper microclimate conditions mentioned above. The weather in 2018 was incredibly consistent and moderate, truly ideal for growing Pinot Noir and this wine proves how the stars perfectly aligned creating something so special. These factors allowed for perfect hang time, and the longer it takes to reach that peak of ripeness within the growing season, the more concentrated the fruit character emerges, resulting in a wine with distinctive and delicious varietal expression. The fruit arrived in exceptional shape, beautifully balanced with both red and dark fruits; pomegranate, blackberry and black cherry along with fragrant rose petals, black tea, baking spices and chalk-like, mineral notes. The abundance of fruit is intoxicating, completely integrated and wrapped around a structured, balanced core with fine silky tannins. The wine is focused with great energy and ageability. Beautifully complex and soulful, we fell in love with absolutely everything about this wine. A brilliantly made Pinot Noir coming from one of the most exquisite vineyard sites in all of California.