Anthill Farms Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

About

The three of us crossed paths while working at Williams-Selyem in 2003 after a few years as cellar rats in California, Oregon, and Virginia. We started Anthill Farms in 2004, making eight-and-a-half barrels of wine our first year. Today, we make eight single-vineyard Pinots and two appellation wines every year; depending on the vintage, we’ll also produce two or three Syrahs and a Chardonnay. We release the Sonoma County Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay to our mailing list members in spring; fall sees the Mendocino County and Syrah offering. Outside of our mailing list, a small amount of wine is released every year to restaurants and wine shops.

This appellation is widely described as “sprawling” as it encompasses half or more of the county. Our fruit comes from two of the coolest, most coastal parts of this appellation: the low coast, west of Sebastopol on the edge of the Petaluma Gap; and the high coast, the first or second ridge inland from the ocean farther to the north. These sites are united by the direct influence of the Pacific‘s cool, marine air, delaying ripening well into October.

The Anthill Farms Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a gorgeous wine that captures all the best of the Anthill Farms style. Pliant and generous, with tons of bright and saline energy, the 2017 is a wonderfully complete wine. Freshly cut flowers, chalk, mint and white pepper give the 2017 its striking freshness and nuance. This is such a pretty wine in its peer group. In a word: superb.