2018 Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard

I was blown away by the wines I tasted from Rivers-Marie this year. Every single wine is just brilliant. The Anderson Valley Chardonnay and Pinot fly under the radar in this range, but they are both sublime in 2018. Note that the Anderson Valley appellation Pinot is gone, a decision taken to focus on the Bearwallow that has paid off big-time. Both Sonoma Coast bottlings are off the charts. Among the Chardonnays, the Thieriot Chardonnay is superb, while in the Pinots, readers will not want to miss the Occidental Ridge and the Platt. Speaking of the Platt, it is one of the most profound California Pinots I have ever tasted. As always, the wines are done with minimal handling in the cellar, which means no lees stirring for Chardonnays, and generally no racking until bottling. The specificity of site is so clear in the 2018s. Kudos to owners Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh, and their team, for this truly spectacular set of wines.