Three Sticks Wines is named for Bill Price III, who is sometimes called “Billy Three Sticks” by his Hawaiian surfer friends. He founded his somewhat eponymous winery in 2002, but he also holds interests in other high-profile properties, including Kistler.
We’re big Burgundy Pinot Noir Fans, but in all fairness, we have always maintained that some of the best Pinot Noir outside of its home turf in France comes from cool climate areas like Sonoma County, including Carneros, Russian River Valley, and Sonoma Coast AVA.
These are considered some of the coolest wine-growing regions in California, and the style here tends to be juicier, fruitier, and more full-bodied than Burgundian Pinot Noir. Sonoma County is only slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island, but it has 19 sub-AVAs, 1,800 grape growers farming 62,000 acres of grapes, and 425 wineries ranging from family-run businesses to large corporate-owned enterprises. More than 13,000 acres are dedicated to Pinot Noir, with vineyards that span from Alexander Valley in the north to Carneros in the south and with altitudes ranging from sea level all the way up to 2,500 feet. We really enjoy visiting Sonoma and its laid-back wineries. It’s got a totally different vibe compared to Napa, and we highly recommend visiting when your travels take you to California wine country. We enjoyed tasting more than 75 wines in our N.Y.C. office to determine the seven that we’re recommending this week. We hope you enjoy them as well.Three Sticks Wines is named for Bill Price III, who is sometimes called “Billy Three Sticks” by his Hawaiian surfer friends. He founded his somewhat eponymous winery in 2002, but he also holds interests in other high-profile properties, including Kistler. Three Sticks wines are 100 percent estate-grown and produced, and in our recent tasting, the 2023 really stood out. It has aromas of cranberry, cherry, and cinnamon stick with plush tannins and flavors of pomegranate, red raspberry, and candied orange peel.Chev is the brainchild of Michael Browne—formerly of Kosta Browne—and his wife, Sarah. Both are very hands-on, but they let winemaker Cabell Coursey work his magic to make amazing Sonoma wines. Their 2021 is made from Pinot Noir clones 23, 667, 777, 115, and 37, and was aged for 15 months in 42 percent new French oak. We first tasted this wine on release a few years ago, but found a bottle at the back of our wine racks and tasted it again last week. At just about five years old, it is drinking perfectly with the right amount of bottle age. It has enticing aromas of ripe cherry, pomegranate, and blood orange peel with velvety tannins and flavors of cranberry, black cherry, and red raspberry. It still has more time, so enjoy now through the next half-decade or so.Friends Dan Goldfield and Steve Dutton began Dutton Goldfield in 1998 with just a handshake. Steve started working in his father’s vineyards when he was only five years old, and Dan worked as a winemaker at Robert Mondavi, La Crema, and Hartford Court. About a year ago, we heard that Dan was stepping out of active winemaking and would assume the role of Winemaker Emeritus, but we can’t imagine him not getting his hands purple for long. Their 2023 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir has lovely aromas of red plum, red raspberry, dried black tea leaves, and ripe cherry with silky soft tannins and flavors of cranberry, cherry, and brown baking spices.Peay Vineyards is very much a family business with Nick Peay and his wife Vanessa Wong growing the grapes and making the wine while Nick’s brother Andy runs the business side. The family’s wines are grown on their 53-acre hilltop vineyard that consists of 34 acres dedicated to Pinot Noir, with the remaining acreage comprised of Chardonnay, Syrah, and a few plots of white Rhône varieties. Peay Vineyards 2023 Pinot Noir is simply gorgeous. It has aromas of dried cranberry, candied orange peel, and rolled tobacco leaf. Balanced acidity in the midpalate leads you to flavors of cherry cola, pomegranate, and finely ground cinnamon.Donum Estate was founded by German-born winemaker Anne Moller-Racke in 2001, and in 2010, she sold the estate to Danish businessman Allan Warburg and his Chinese-born wife, Mei. Allan and Mei split their time between Beijing, Sonoma, and Hong Kong and are avid art collectors, so visitors to Donum can view over 60 large sculptures by artists including Keith Haring, Tracey Emin, Yayoi Kusama, and others displayed among the vineyards. Donum’s Home Ranch Pinot Noir has aromas of cinnamon, cedar box, bright cherry, and red raspberry. Elegant tannins and bright acidity in the mid palate guide you in for flavors of red cherry, red plum, cocoa powder, and pomegranate.Image Credit: Williams Selyem Friends Burt Williams and Ed Selyem released their first eponymously named wine in 1984, and it became an overnight California cult classic. In 2021, the Faiveley family of Burgundy acquired a minority share, and recently, they moved forward and now own the majority. We’ve long admired the Burgundy wines made by Faiveley and now look forward to seeing their Sonoma wines continue to evolve. This Williams Selyem 2023 is an amazing example of excellent California Pinot Noir. It has aromas of cranberry, red cherry, and freshly ground white pepper with balanced acidity and silky tannins surrounding flavors of pomegranate, brown baking spices, and freshly sliced red plum.Buena Vista was established in 1857 and named by Hungarian-born Agoston Haraszthy, the self-proclaimed “Count of Buena Vista.” He followed the early gold prospectors of 1849 and decided to plant vines and concentrate his skills on selling “purple gold” to the miners. He died in 1869 while swimming in a crocodile-infested river in Nicaragua. The count’s legend lives on due to the 2011 acquisition of the estate by French-born Jean Charles Boisset. This stunning 2023 Ida’s Selection is named for the count’s first daughter. It has elegant aromas of cherry, raspberry, and dried lavender with velvety tannins and bold flavors of ripe red berries, wild strawberry, and dried rose petals.
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