2021 Pinot Noir Mononi Vineyard

This is another strong set of new releases from brothers Mark and Ben McWilliams and their longtime winemaker Matt Courtney. As good as many of the wines have been here in recent years, I have long felt this range was too dispersive. The 2021s signal a move towards a more focused range, which is a positive in my view. All the wines are done with native ferments. The Russian River Pinots saw about 12 months in barrel, while the Sonoma Coast Pinots spent 18-20 months in wood. Over the last few years, Courtney has introduced some whole clusters in fermentation. In 2021, he felt the conditions were quite favorable for stem inclusion, so the wines range from about 15% stems for the appellation-level wine to 25-60% for the single vineyard offerings. The Chardonnays spent 12 months in 228-liter French oak barrels, followed by 6-8 months in steel prior to bottling. There is certainly plenty to admire and explore here, in both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.