(Peay Vineyards) Cep Estate Pinot Noir 2018

$29.99 net

92 Pts Wine Advocate

“Mountainous”, “Extreme”, “Cold”, “Wind-Swept”, “God-Forsakenly Remote”, “Inhospitable”, “On the Edge of the Imagination”, “On the Edge of Viticulture”… These are all real words and phrases used to describe Peay Vineyards in the most extreme northwest corner of Sonoma County along a ridgeline just 4 miles from the Pacific.  Those are all kinda true… But you could also use words like “Cool Breezes”, “Sloping Hillsides”, “Stunningly Beautiful”, “Maritime Influence”, “Picturesque”, “Awe-Inspiring”… You get the drift.  I’ve never actually visited their 51-Acre Estate but I’ve been pretty darn close in travelling through the northern Sonoma Coast and Mendocino Counties.  It really is one of the most “Extreme” and “Awe-Inspiring” regions you can find along the West Coast, or the entire country, for that matter.  Enough about my unhealthy love-affair with the area and more about the wine!

The 2018 Cep Pinot Noir delivers balance, elegance and complexity you normally don’t find at this price point. This is due to 100% of the wine coming from de-classified barrels of Peay Vineyards Estate Pinot Noirs.  Cep is just their second label used to introduce the line at a more affordable price point.  They don’t purchase fruit from neighboring vineyards or larger, more inland vineyards to make this wine.  It’s the same grapes from the same vines that go into the more expensive Estate bottlings and made in a very similar fashion.  Basically the few barrels that are just a little more fruit-forward and just a little less age-worthy go into making this beautiful and accessible Pinot… I can only imagine how tough a job the blending and barrel selection process is but let me be the first to thank Winemaker Vanessa Wong for picking these barrels to go into this wine!

“The high-toned nose is captivating with cranberry, raspberry and pomegranate fruit aromas framed by clove, decaying leaves, and rose petal notes. The mouth feel is medium bodied with light tannins and the same red fruits and dried leaf components framing the wine. The finish is quite long with lingering hints of cherry cream and anise seed.” That was a winery note that I tended to agree with.

But I also agree with these notes from Erin Brooks, one of Wine Advocate’s go-to writers for all things California and Oregon...

“The 2018 Estate Pinot Noir is an incredible value this vintage, with loads of floral aromas over pure, bright red cherries, dried cranberries and rhubarb with accents of tangerine and dust. The palate is light to medium-bodied with bright, earth and spice-laced flavors, juicy uplift and a long finish.” WA


Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Wednesday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.