Pinot Noir
2017

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Sonría News & Events

Vinous – Antonio Galloni

2013 Sonría Wines Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard – 91 points

Vivid red. Fresh raspberry, cherry-cola and blood orange aromas show very good energy and pick up a smoky nuance with aeration. Smooth, seamless and appealingly sweet, with good heft to its juicy red fruit, vanilla and rose pastille flavors. In a round, fairly robust style for the vintage, with strong closing punch and dusty tannins coming in late to add shape and grip to a long, sappy finish. Keith Emerson, (no, not that Keith Emerson) of Vineyard 29 in the Napa Valley has been making a Pinot Noir from Shea Vineyard fruit since the 2009 vintage. The grapes are brought down to California in a refrigerated truck and made at his gravity-flow winery in St. Helena.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni

2012 Sonría Wines Pinot Noir – 91 points

The 2012 Pinot Noir Sonría is savory, lifted and precise. Crushed flowers, tobacco and licorice add complexity to an expressive core of red-toned Pinot fruit. Drink this gracious, feminine Pinot over the next handful of years.

The Prince of Pinot: Ten is Zen for Willamette Valley

2010 Sonría Shea Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton District Pinot Noir

  • Very Good
  • Willamette Valley, Oregon
  • September 12, 2012

Moderately light reddish-color in the glass. Very pleasant perfume of redfruited tart with a hint of mocha. Smooth, gentle and seamless, with restrained flavors of red fruits, rhubarb and herbs, somewhat buried in tannins at this stage. I like this wine for its lacy restraint
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PaulG’s top 100 Pacific Northwest wines for 2011

2009 Sonría Pinot Noir, Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley

  • #62
  • Willamette Valley, Oregon
  • December 19, 2011

This is the sixth year I have compiled a personal Top 100 list, based on tastings done over the 12 month period commencing November 1, 2010 and running through October 31, 2011. This time around, I decided to make the competition even tougher than before, by including the wines of Oregon in the mix.
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Wine Advocate

2009 Sonría Pinot Noir, Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley

  • Score: 92
  • Drink: 2011-2019
  • Issue: #197 – Oct 2011

The 2009 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard, made from the Wadenswil and Pommard clones, was partially native fermented followed by aging in 500-liter puncheons. Dark ruby red in color, it displays a pleasing perfume of smoke, floral notes, cinnamon, black cherry, and black raspberry. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety-textured, succulent offering with enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years. It will provide enjoyment through 2019+.
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Wine Spectator

2009 Sonría Pinot Noir, Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley

  • 90 POINTS
  • Willamette Valley, Oregon
  • Web only – 2011

Light, with firm tannins under a gentle bead of orange-scented cherry and smoke flavors, lingering nicely. Best from 2012 through 2017. 180 cases made. –Harvey Steiman
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Wine Enthusiast

2009 Sonría Pinot Noir, Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley

  • 93 POINTS
  • Willamette Valley, Oregon
  • August 2011

Winemaker Keith Emerson is the Director of Winemaking for Vineyard 29, a Napa-based winery and custom-crush facility. This debut wine from his own label is flat-out lovely. A core of focused cherry fruit is surrounded with accent flavors that circle like moons around a central planet. Tart acids, sweet toast, dark chocolate and a whisp of smoke, all almost ethereal and finely crafted. –Paul Gregutt
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PaulG’s top 10 Northwest wines of the month

2009 Sonría Pinot Noir, Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley

  • #10
  • Willamette Valley, Oregon
  • May 4, 2011

A core of focused cherry fruit is surrounded with tart acids, sweet toast, dark chocolate, and a whisp of smoke. Almost ethereal and finely crafted. –Paul Gregutt
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The Prince of Pinot Reviews Sonría.

2009 Sonría Shea Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton District Pinot Noir

  • Very Good
  • Willamette Valley, Oregon
  • April 11, 2011

Moderate reddish-purple color in the glass. The aromatics are nicely fruited with appealing complimentary scents of spice, dried roses and a hint of spearmint. A hearty layered core of blackberry, black raspberry and cherry fruit impresses the mid palate
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