2023 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast 750 ml

Perched on the wild, rugged ridges of the true Sonoma Coast—now known by its new moniker, the West Sonoma Coast—Peay Vineyards stands as a testament to visionary winegrowing at the edge of possibility. When brothers Nick and Andy Peay first discovered this untamed parcel in 1996, conventional wisdom deemed it too cold, too remote for viticulture.

Yet it was precisely these extremes—the cooling fog, maritime winds, and extended growing season—that called to them.

Their estate vineyard sits just four miles from the churning Pacific, where marine influence dominates the terroir. At elevations between 600-800 feet, the 51-acre vineyard straddles a ridgetop in the northwestern corner of the Sonoma Coast AVA, near Annapolis. Here, the vines struggle gloriously in shallow soils, developing profound complexity through naturally low yields and extraordinary hang time.

The Peays, joined by Nick's wife and winemaker Vanessa Wong (who trained at Château Lafite-Rothschild), farm organically, eschewing irrigation after establishment to force roots deep into the rocky subsoil. Their holistic approach includes sheep grazing between rows and meticulous canopy management adapted to each vineyard block's microclimate.

Their 2023 West Sonoma Coast Pinot shows off all the qualities that have made Peay one of the top names in California Pinot. It’s made entirely from free-run juice—press wine is declassified into Peay’s second label, Cep—and is 95% from their estate vineyard, with the rest coming from a stunning new site in the area.

Winemaker Vanessa Wong enthusiastically counts the 2023 vintage among her career's finest achievements. The estate’s vines are now older, she’s accrued decades of winemaking experience, and the vintage was fantastic. A prolonged, cool fall growing season that developed complex aromatics without sacrificing acidity or adding excessive alcohol.