2023 Summer Dreams 'Stargazing' Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, USA

(96 points) This was one of the first wines Jayson Woodbridge (of Hundred Acre fame) conceived for his new Summer Dreams label, inspired by his love of stargazing during the summer months. It’s a remarkably classy wine—super suave, with wonderful brown spices and cherry fruit. The palate is creamy and expressive, full of fruit-forward energy yet layered with richness and depth, showing even greater refinement than when I last tasted it. Notes of rich cedarwood, violets and dark forest tones add nuance and complexity, while supple tannins frame the brown-spice-scented red berry fruit beautifully through the long finish. In 2019, Jayson Woodbridge began producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir under the Summer Dreams label, sourcing fruit from cool-climate vineyards on the extreme Sonoma Coast. This 100% Pinot Noir from the West Sonoma Coast is crafted from whole berries, fermented in open-top tanks and puncheons, and matured in a mix of Demptos, Taransaud and Cavin barrels. The wine is bottled unfined.  Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter (Jan 2025)