2017 Coho Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Los Carneros Napa Valley 750 ml

Today, we’re thrilled to bring Wine Access Pinot Noir lovers a deal we’ve been working three vintages to deliver: Coho’s singular Pinot from Stanly Ranch, one of the oldest and most critically acclaimed sites in Carneros, and one of Wine Access members’ highest-rated Pinots, scoring a knockout 4.3-out-of-5-star average. 

On the easternmost edge of Carneros, where Napa Valley gently slopes toward the San Pablo Bay, Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir stands alone… literally and figuratively. Cultivated since the 1870s, its vines have captured the hearts of historic Napa Valley icons like Louis Martini, and contemporaries like Merryvale ($72), Starmont ($65), and Saintsbury ($55) who all craft single-vineyard bottlings from these foggy slopes. 

Coho’s Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir is iconic even among these greats—founder Gary Lipp has been cultivating the oldest Pinot vines on the ranch since launching this member-favorite brand over a decade ago—and with 100-point master Phil Titus of Chappellet at his side, the 2017 Coho Pinot Noir is an absolutely stunning expression of legendary Stanly Ranch terroir. Coho’s production volumes are always tiny, but we managed to secure a few of Phil and Gary’s 455 cases.

Drawn from the vineyard’s oldest section, the 2017 tantalizes with black fruit and rose petal aromas before unfolding a cherry-cola richness, showcasing a silky polish that had us pouring second and third glasses.

The Coho team makes career-defining accomplishments look routine, with an encyclopedic amount of collective expertise. Gary is a 30-year wine industry veteran, an alum of Paul Hobbs, Chalone, Robert Mondavi, and Chappellet. If that wasn’t enough, in 2013, he set Phil Titus at Coho’s winemaking helm. Titus made his name crafting 100-point reds at Chappellet, and added to his superstardom with his namesake Titus label, which Robert Parker has praised for its “consistent high quality.” 

Stanly Ranch is located just above the tidal marshes that flow into San Pablo Bay, where the growing season’s hot temperatures pull cool breezes off of the bay, relieving the site’s vines until they are warmed by the next day’s sun. This chilly cycle creates an ideal environment for Pinot Noir, producing an excellent balance of richness and fruit levity in the final wines. 

Considering the heaps of praise Coho wines have received, we expect this 2017—from a cool, even vintage perfect for delicate Pinot—to follow suit. It was absolutely worth the three-year wait to secure this allocation, but we don’t recommend waiting to hit buy. If history is any indication, our stash of these critically acclaimed bottles is already dwindling.