Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir Stagecoach Road Sonoma Coast 2021

Add 3 bottles to the cart and receive an additional 43% off!

The epitome of a rich, textured, earthy, and bright high-elevation Pinot Noir awaits in this Fort Ross Vineyard Stagecoach Road 2021 bottling from the far reaches of the Sonoma Coast! First Bottle and the winery itself are the only places you can get your hands on this cool-climate beauty – and we’ve got free shipping and a major price drop on orders of 4+ bottles!

Set on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Fort Ross Vineyard works with a small crew to assemble some seriously delicious, award-winning wines. Not many folks grow grapes in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, as the terrain is mountainous and often dense with forestland. But, when Linda and Lester Schwartz bought a section on the high coastal ridges above the ocean in 1988, they had a vision to do what had rarely been done in those parts: grow exceptional grapes, and make fabulous wines. Against the advice of academics who told them the location was too cool and foggy to grow grapes, they spent a few years experimenting on their 53-acre vineyard, playing with various clones, rootstocks, and trellising systems before discovering they had the ideal land and location to farm generous and energetic Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and even Chenin Blanc grapes.

Jeff Pisoni (from Pisoni Family Vineyards) makes the wines in close collaboration with Linda and Lester, using a minimalist approach to allow the terroir and coastal location to speak boldly through the wines. The trio walks the vineyard together throughout the growing season to taste fruit from each block and determine when to hand-harvest each section. This high-elevation vineyard sits just a mile from the Pacific Ocean, reaping the cool-influence benefits. A drier than normal growing season allowed the roots to stretch down deep into the earth in search of water, in turn bringing an immense concentration of flavor to the grapes. 2021 has proved to be a much celebrated vintage across Sonoma and Napa alike, and this wine experiences an intensity in color and flavor that will allow the wine to evolve for many years to come.

Only 240 cases were made of this mountain Pinot jewel – the most consistently intense and pronounced bottling from their line-up of Pinot Noir offerings. Blended of clones Calera, Pommard, and 115, the wine pours a deep ruby hue with aromas of baked plum, black cherry, cranberry preserves, and black tea waltzing together seamlessly. More dark berry notes, plus some licorice, cedar, turned earth, rose petals, and dried cherries, approach on the palate, alongside a bright, textured acidity. While it’s certainly got the cool, coastal elements we love, there’s also plenty of bright, ripe fruit to balance out this Pinot. This is yet another unbelievable and limited Sonoma Coast wine from a producer who consistently hits bangers. Just make sure you order your 4-pack for even better pricing (plus free shipping), and to ensure you have plenty of back-ups when you demolish your first bottle!

PAIRING IDEAS: The warm spices of a braised lamb curry would be truly scrumptious alongside this cool-climate pinot noir – try this one with a side of warm naan!