Lot 72 is a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir sourced from the highly regarded Gap’s Crown Vineyard alongside Russian River Valley and Green Valley components — from a producer whose wines retail well over $60/bottle. Claude’s source guess is Sojourn Cellars
Lot Overview
- Region: Sonoma Coast (42% Russian River Valley, 18% Green Valley of the RRV, 40% Petaluma Gap — Gap’s Crown Vineyard)
- Vintage: 2024
- Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir (three-vineyard blend)
- Oak Aging: 35% new French oak, 14 months
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- TA / pH: 6 g/L TA, 3.55 pH, 1 g/L lactic
- Cases Available: not stated
- Cam Price: ~$10.75/bottle ($129/case — estimated)
- Retail Estimate: $70+/bottle equivalent
- Claude’s Source Guess: Sojourn Cellars (primary); Gary Farrell (strong alternative)
- Wine Berserkers Guess:
- Drink Window: 2026–2033 (peak 2027–2031)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Dear Friends,
I have a fantastic Pinot Noir offer for you today!
Lot 72 is a gorgeous, single-vineyard designated Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir sourced from the highly regarded Gap’s Crown Vineyard and surrounding Russian River Valley and Green Valley vineyards. The producer sells this wine for well over $60/bottle and it is a fantastic deal at $99/case DELIVERED.
At just $99/case DELIVERED, this is a mind-blowing deal for world-class Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir!
Tasting Notes
Lot 72 is a gorgeous, single-vineyard designated Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir sourced from the highly regarded Gap’s Crown Vineyard and surrounding Russian River Valley and Green Valley vineyards. The producer sells this wine for well over $60/bottle and it is a fantastic deal at $99/case DELIVERED.
Beautiful ruby/garnet in the glass with a vibrant magenta rim. The bouquet is immediately expressive and complex with ripe cherry, strawberry and raspberry notes beautifully complexed with forest floor, black tea and earthy umami notes. With air, the bouquet opens further with spicy clove and cinnamon notes along with a lovely floral halo. Supple and silky on entry with a beautifully integrated structure of medium-full bodied Pinot Noir with mouthwatering acidity carrying ripe cherry and raspberry fruit laced with clove and cedar to a long, sustained finish. Beautifully balanced with tremendous elegance and complexity, this gorgeous Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a must-have for Pinot lovers!
⏳ Bottle Shock Status
2024 vintage, recently bottled. Allow 30–60 days. Drinking well upon arrival.
Claude’s Source Guess: Sojourn Cellars — purpose-built blend from Gap’s Crown, RRV, and Green Valley sources
The blend structure here is the key clue: Gap’s Crown (Petaluma Gap) + unnamed Russian River Valley + unnamed Green Valley of the RRV. Cam names Gap’s Crown because it’s large enough with enough producers sourcing from it to protect anonymity. The unnamed RRV and Green Valley vineyards are “revered” and “almost always featured as single-vineyard designates” — meaning these are well-known individual vineyards whose names would immediately identify the producer.
Sojourn Cellars is the most compelling candidate because they are one of the few producers who regularly source from all three of these zones simultaneously. Their vineyard list includes Gap’s Crown (Petaluma Gap), Wohler and Reuling (RRV), and Riddle (Green Valley) — all of which appear as single-vineyard designates in their portfolio at $70–$85+. Sojourn’s winemaker Erich Bradley mentored under Arrowood and David Ramey, and their house style — luxurious, multi-vineyard blends with meticulous sourcing — matches Cam’s “purpose-built bottling blend” language precisely.
Gary Farrell is a strong alternative. Their owner Bill Price literally owns Gap’s Crown vineyard, giving them uniquely privileged access. They regularly blend RRV sources including Hallberg (Green Valley) and multiple named RRV vineyards, and their single-vineyard Gap’s Crown retails at $75. The fact that naming the unnamed vineyards “would be hitting too close to home” could mean RRV vineyards whose names are so associated with Gary Farrell (Rochioli, Bacigalupi, Hallberg) that they’d be immediately identifiable.
The three-zone blend isn’t a typical retail offering from either producer — it reads as surplus inventory assembled specifically for Cam, which is consistent with how he works. Both Sojourn and Gary Farrell have the relationships and inventory to pull this together.
✅ Confidence: Medium — Gap’s Crown is confirmed, the producer identity depends on which house controls access to those specific unnamed RRV and Green Valley sources. Sojourn and Gary Farrell are both legitimate candidates and the community may have better intel on which producer’s specific vineyards match.
Drink Window
Early Enjoyment: Summer 2026 — the 2024’s open-knit, accessible structure means this will show very well young.
Peak Drinking: 2027–2031. The 35% new oak and 14-month aging is restrained enough to allow the fruit to lead for several years before tertiary notes develop.
Hold Potential: 2033. The high lactic (1 g/L) and low TA relative to some Pinots suggests full ML and a wine built for freshness rather than extreme longevity.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2026–2033 (peak 2027–2031)