2022 Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch Sonoma Coast

94 POINTS, DECANTER 

"The McDougall Ranch, located just north of Hirsch and the Cazadero Hills in the Sonoma Coast AVA, is the source of one of the most perfumed and concentrated Pinot Noirs in Dan Ricciato’s lineup. Ricciato, director of viticulture for renowned consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, crafts wines that are each distinct, expressive, and impeccably balanced, with alcohol levels around 13.8%. This bottling offers fragrant red berry fruit, lifted by bright floral aromatics, blood orange, and crushed slate minerality. Smoky clove carries through on the long, resonant finish."

ABOUT THE VINEYARD

Perched 3.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean at elevations ranging from 935 to 1,030 feet, McDougall Ranch Vineyard sits above the fog line in the rugged hills of the Sonoma Coast. This south-facing site benefits from abundant sunlight and a relatively warmer microclimate, allowing for optimal grape ripening. The vineyard's rocky soils, composed of greywacke and sandstone derived from marine sediments, contribute to the complexity and minerality of the wines produced here. Planted in 1998 with Dijon clones 114 and 115, McDougall Ranch has become a sought-after source for Pinot Noir, offering a unique expression of the Sonoma Coast terroir.