🏷️ Lot Overview
Region: Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2023
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
ChatGPT Original Source Guess: Rochioli Vineyards & Winery (Alt: Williams Selyem, Littorai)
Wine Berserkers Guess: Flowers
Alcohol: 14%
Oak Aging: ~25–30% New French Oak
Cam Price: $9.92 ($119/case)
Retail Estimate: $45–$60
Drink Window: 2025–2031
🍷 Cameron’s Release Notes
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With Lot 18 sold out, it feels like a great time to launch Lot 31 2023 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.
Bottled a few weeks ago, it’s already showing beautifully. Energetic and precise with seamless complexity and perfect balance from the amazing 2023 vintage, this absolutely classic Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir features a price you simply will not believe.
With a legendary producer in the mix and a QPR that’s out of this world, could it be Back Up The Truck time?
Website / Tasting Notes
Age-worthy, complex and archetypal, Lot 31 Sonoma Coast Pinot comes to us from a legendary producer who had “a little bit left over from our recent bottling.” They were eager to get it out before harvest so Cam negotiated a very good price.
Normally $60 per bottle at the winery (and $45–$60 in the trade), this perfectly ripe Pinot Noir from the flawless 2023 vintage is yours for just $119/case DELIVERED!
With fruit sourced from a mix of estate and family-owned Sonoma Coast vineyards, this winery helped put California Pinot Noir on the map. This is no-expense-spared, first-run production, aged in ~25–30% new French oak—an absolute steal at this price.
Bouquet shows bright Bing cherry, cranberry, earl grey, and forest floor. Saline and umami notes emerge with air. The palate is already seamless, featuring pure fruit, freshness, and energy. Pretty cherry and juicy raspberry glide effortlessly, leading to a sustained finish resonating with red fruits, tea, and earthy notes. Fantastic purity, length, and complexity—both delicious and collectible.
🧠ChatGPT says
🔍 Source Guess: Rochioli Vineyards & Winery (Alt: Williams Selyem, Littorai)
🧾 Rationale:
- Pedigree: “Legendary producer,” iconic Sonoma Coast vineyards, and $60 retail strongly point toward Rochioli, Williams Selyem, or Littorai. Rochioli is the archetype for Pinot excellence and scarcity.
- Winemaking Style: Low new oak (25–30%), transparency, and purity match Rochioli or Littorai’s classic approach.
- Lot Scale: 300 cases is consistent with boutique, estate-led operations.
- Vintage: 2023 described as “perfect,” aligning with widespread acclaim for Sonoma Pinot in this vintage.
Alt guess: Williams Selyem or Littorai—both cult producers with similar vineyard footprints and house styles.
⏳ Drink Window
- Best Enjoyed: 2025–2028 for primary fruit and vibrancy.
- Peak: 2026–2028, when structure integrates.
- Hold Potential: To 2031 for tertiary notes of tea leaf, forest floor, and umami.
🧑‍🤝‍🧑🍷 Wine Berserkers Guess: Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir