Sonoma and Neighbors 2022 & 2023: Opposites Attract

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JANUARY 16, 2025 (UPDATED MARCH 25, 2025)

It’s that time of year. New releases from Sonoma County and neighboring appellations are starting to hit the market. This report covers some of the most exciting wines I tasted on my recent trip to Sonoma. As is our custom, we will post frequent updates to this article in the coming weeks, which we feel is the best way to keep readers current, given the sheer volume of wines released this time of year. Readers can also look forward to a forthcoming report focused on the Moon Mountain AVA, where the wines are quite distinct from those made in the more central regions within Sonoma County.

I have said it before, but it bears repeating. Sonoma County is a vast appellation. Unlike regions such as Burgundy, Piedmont, Bordeaux or the heart of Napa Valley, where vineyards are often contiguous, vineyards in Sonoma are much more spread out. Making useful generalizations about vintages, especially challenging vintages, is next to impossible. Two thousand twenty-two and 2023 were both marked by very difficult conditions. Looking at the wines requires drilling down to the details for each estate/producer and wine. Broad statements will be of little value.

Occidental’s Running Fence Vineyard, Bodega.

2022 Sonoma Pinot Noir Revisited

Now that I have tasted a broader number of Pinots Noir relative to last year, I have a more complete view of the year, specifically as it relates to Pinot. Of course, the most defining event of the growing season was the brutal heat spike that descended around Labor Day, but 2022 is more nuanced than just that period. The growing season got off to a quick start. Frost was an issue in some areas, which resulted in lighter-bodied wines. Weather was especially poor during fruit set. Many producers reported a significant loss of crop. Some producers reported small clusters with small berries.

Summer months were mostly cool and very dry. Lower yields on the vine were a blessing in disguise for several estates, as those producers were able to ripen their crop by late August and early September, before the Labor Day heat was at its most punishing. Others were forced to pick during or after the heat. In these cases, the wines show some variability, but nothing as extreme as in Napa Valley, where conditions were much more severe.