Lot 18 is sourced from the same producer as Lot 30 — one of Sonoma County’s finest Burgundian Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers with a colossal single-vineyard portfolio — with new ownership downsizing creating a rare bulk availability opportunity. Claude’s source guess is Failla Wines, Alt: Patz & Hall. See also: Lot 30.
Lot Overview
- Region: 100% Sonoma Coast — 65% Russian River Valley, 33% Sonoma Coast, 2% Petaluma Gap
- Vintage: 2023
- Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
- Oak Aging: ~40–45% new French oak
- Alcohol: 14.2%
- Cases Available: ~300
- Cam Price: ~$10.75/bottle ($129/case)
- Retail Estimate: $60–70/bottle equivalent
- Claude’s Source Guess: Failla Wines (Alt: Patz & Hall)
- Wine Berserkers Guess: Patz & Hall
- Drink Window: 2025–2031 (peak 2026–2029)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Cameron’s Release Notes
This is sourced from the same winery as Lot 30 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay: “one of Sonoma County’s finest ‘Burgundian’ Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers with a colossal array of single-vineyard designated bottlings”.
We arrived at the final blend in much the same fashion as we did with the Chardonnay…the final blend is a composition of 62% of their $40-$50 marketplace offering and 38% from their $65+ per bottle various single-vineyard designate programs. Appellation-wise, the composition is 65% Russian River Valley, 33% Sonoma Coast and 2% Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir, all sourced from top-tier vineyards.
Here’s what you need to know. This is all first run, ultra-premium wine, no press lots, bad barrels or other such shiite. New ownership is downsizing and I purchased the bulk of their 2023 Sonoma County Pinot lots for an unbelievable price and we were able to assemble our own blend. Trust me, we’re good at this.
Folks, this is a MIND-BLOWING DEAL at $129 per case DELIVERED!
More good news! This blend actually went into the bottle on 7/25 and drinking great already. I promise you, this is no-expense-spared, world-class winemaking all the way, the result being one classy, delicious Pinot Noir.
Tasting Notes
Lot 18 2023 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is sourced from the same winery as Lot 30 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay: “one of Sonoma County’s finest ‘Burgundian’ Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers with a colossal array of single-vineyard designated bottlings”.
We arrived at the final blend in much the same fashion as we did with the Chardonnay…the final blend is a composition of 62% of their $40-$50 marketplace offering and 38% from their $65+ per bottle various single-vineyard designate programs. Appellation-wise, the composition is 65% Russian River Valley, 33% Sonoma Coast and 2% Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir, all sourced from top-tier vineyards.
Here’s what you need to know. This is all first run, ultra-premium wine, no press lots, bad barrels or other such shiite. New ownership is downsizing and I purchased the bulk of their 2023 Sonoma County Pinot lots for an unbelievable price and we were able to assemble our own blend. Trust me, we’re good at this.
Folks, this is a MIND-BLOWING DEAL at $129 per case DELIVERED!
More good news! This blend actually went into the bottle on 7/25 and drinking great already. I promise you, this is no-expense-spared, world-class winemaking all the way, the result being one classy, delicious Pinot Noir.
Beautiful cherry red with a vibrant purple sheen throughout. The bouquet is fresh, ripe, spicy and complex with a right up-the-middle array of fruit and earth. Ripe strawberry is spiced with pretty cherry and clove notes. Purple flowers mingle with hints of forest floor and fresh-turned black soil while cranberry, cedar and cinnamon complex the bouquet with air. Supple, fleshy, and ripe on entry with a medium-full bodied structure with mineral and clove-laced tannins carrying pretty cherry and ripe strawberry fruit laced with cedar to a long-sustained finish. With exquisite balance and exceptional purity throughout, this wine is a wonderful interplay of fruit and the more savory edge – a classic Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from an amazing vintage!
✅ Bottle Shock Status: Bottled July 25th. Drinking well already per Cam.
Claude’s Source Guess: Failla Wines — Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir blend (Alt: Patz & Hall)
Failla Wines, founded by Ehren Jordan in 1998, has built one of California’s most comprehensive single-vineyard Pinot Noir programs — 30+ wines spanning RRV, Sonoma Coast, and Petaluma Gap sources including Keefer Ranch (Green Valley/RRV), Platt Vineyard (Petaluma Gap adjacent, Sebastopol hills), Peay Vineyard (Sonoma Coast), Whistler, and Occidental Ridge. Their Sonoma Coast appellation Pinot retails at $45–50 and single-vineyard designates run $65–75+, matching Cam’s blend tier breakdown precisely. The 40–45% new French oak is spot-on for Failla’s élevage philosophy.
The “new ownership downsizing” clue is the main uncertainty — no confirmed ownership change at Failla has surfaced. Patz & Hall is the strongest alternative: co-founder James Hall recently executed a buyback from Sycamore Partners, which would constitute genuine “new ownership” triggering an inventory rationalization. Patz & Hall also has a deep single-vineyard Pinot and Chardonnay program spanning RRV, Sonoma Coast, and Sonoma Valley, with similar pricing tiers.
WB’s guess of Patz & Hall is well-reasoned. The ownership narrative favors Patz & Hall; the portfolio breadth and Petaluma Gap component favor Failla.
✅ Confidence: Medium-High for Failla; Medium-High for Patz & Hall — both are strong candidates. The “new ownership” clue is decisive if it can be confirmed for one over the other.
Drink Window
Early: 2025 — Cam says it’s drinking well already, bottled July 25th.
Peak: 2026–2029. Sonoma Coast Pinot at this quality tier peaks 3–6 years from vintage.
Hold: 2031. The 14.2% alc and 40–45% new oak give this solid medium-term aging potential.
My Call: ✅ Drink window: 2025–2031 (peak 2026–2029)