2017 Vivier Wines Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 750 ml

We can’t think of a California winemaker with a more sterling pedigree than Stéphane Vivier: Consider that Aubert de Villaine of Burgundy’s Domaine de la Romanée-Conti—which makes the world’s most precious Pinot Noir, priced from $1,200 to $20,000 (really)—chose him to head up his California outpost Hyde de Villaine. Those Pinots scarcely drop below $100 per bottle. 

Today, we’ve got Vivier’s passion project, which is drawn almost entirely (roughly 97%) from a single vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA. That's the region where Patz & Hall, Lutum, and Sojourn source $60+ vineyard-designate Pinots—right near Griffin’s Lair and Sangiacomo, which rank among the area’s most esteemed sites. 

Built on brilliant winemaking and pristine sources, Vivier’s Pinots have enraptured sommeliers, critics, and Wine Access members. The silky, complex 2017 has been served at The French Laundry and Compline, and it shows why members have called Vivier’s bottles “a cut above most Cali Pinots in the price range,” and “a must-buy for any Pinot fan.” 

We would’ve put “any” in all caps, because this is a surefire winner for fans of Burgundy and California alike. Steeped in Old World mineral elegance, this bottle is where classic Burgundian restraint meets the raw potential of the New World. Expressive and aromatic, it’s at once complex, easy-drinking, and delicious. This tastes exactly like the sort of unstuffy but soul-warming Pinot Noir a Beaune winemaker would pour for you at his home dinner table.

Stéphane Vivier is truly a winemaking prodigy and always had a precocious nose. He grew up in a small village in Burgundy, and at the age of five, he’d guess what his mother was making for lunch just from the aromas that floated from the kitchen. He had his first taste of Pinot Noir at age ten, and followed the sensory path in life, eventually accompanying Domaine de la Romanée-Conti co-director Aubert de Villaine to Hyde de Villaine, his celebrated Napa partnership with Larry Hyde.

When Stéphane taps into a pristine vineyard source, as he has here, he prioritizes purity over everything else. “It’s always better to let nature do its thing,” Vivier told us. “You don’t want to touch too much. Let the grapes speak.” The grapes spoke in captivating fashion in 2017, giving voice to a rare, delicately complex expression, infused with earthy depth. “This vintage really looks down the roots,” said Vivier. “It’s unique in its earthiness, minerality, meatiness, but with a lightness to it.” 

Vivier is still at Hyde de Villaine, but his personal project is where he really shows his roots and passion: He and his wife Dana funded the 2009 launch of their label with credit cards and started with 30 cases of wine. That number has grown only by a few hundred, even as demand has grown to a fever pitch in recent years, after the Viviers’ Pinots were claimed by Master Sommelier-curated Bay Area institutions.

The Pinot character that won those somms over is apparent in the gorgeous 2017. Aged in seasoned French oak, it’s perfectly spiced, beautifully balanced, and the kind of wine for which Pinot lovers don’t mind paying a mint. Luckily, today you don’t have to.