2009 Pinot Noir Estate Ama

Peay is one of the most intriguing young wineries in Sonoma. Brothers Andy and Nick Peay bought their property in 1996 and began planting in 1998. This site, near Annapolis, is in the coldest part of Sonoma County. When things go well, the harvest takes place in October. Two tons per acre – considered very low anywhere else in the world – is a very generous harvest here. Normal yields are in the 1.3-1.5 tons per acre range. Vanessa Wong, Nick Peay's wife, makes the wines. Wong's resume includes time at Peter Michael and Hirsch.

"On the coast, 2009, as a vintage,doesn't have a peer," said Andy Peay. The wines are seriously concentrated, he explained, "but they're also alive, so there's no trade-off required." He also likes the fact that alcohol levels are moderate, which emphasizes the freshness of the wines. "There's an energy to the bouquets that's as good as we've ever achieved." He calls '09 a vintage without extremes: everything about the season was in balance and the wines that came out of it reflect that. "If you have balance as an ideal, then 2009 was ideal." While Peay says that many '09s are delicious already, he also believes that they're built for the long haul. "So hopefully people won't get carried away and drink them too young." Note that with the 2009 vintage there is an entry-level pinot that retails for a relatively friendly price and is made in a quantity that ensures good availability.