By Big Basin Vineyards
2017 Coastview Vineyard Pinot Noir Monterey County

Background
Our approach to wine growing is rooted in the earth and refined by hand. Great wines are grown, not made, so we harvest by hand, ferment with native yeast, avoid filtering or fining, and use minimal sulfur. Ocean breezes, rocky soils, and mountainous terrain establish the Santa Cruz and Gabilan Mountains as exceptional winegrowing terroir. Each vineyard we work with has a unique personality that inspires us to let them speak for themselves. Our steep windswept hillsides, first planted over 100 years ago, are now planted to Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and Roussanne. Founder and winemaker Bradley Brown has evolved the style at Big Basin to produce wines with more energy, intensity, and dimension that speak clearly of their mountain origins.

Vineyard
The Coastview Vineyard is located on a mountaintop overlooking Monterey Bay, with decomposed granite and limestone soils. In 2008, I convinced Coastview's owner, John Allen, to bud over some existing Syrah vines that had trouble getting ripe to Pinot Noir. Our Pinot comes from two blocks that face north and east. Sheep graze the vineyard during the winter months.

Winemaker Notes
2017 was an excellent vintage in virtually all respects. A good set during spring flowering set us up for good yields. Temperatures remained fairly moderate all year until just before harvest when a substantial heat spike impacted some vineyards. Fortunately, the high elevation, mountain top exposure, and proximity to Monterey Bay of the Coastview Vineyard help moderate those heat spikes. This is our ninth vintage of Coastview Pinot Noir, and we can say that experience with a vineyard counts when it comes to getting the most out of it. We worked hard in the vineyard to ensure proper management to obtain the lignified canes needed to use whole-cluster without intrusive or dry tannins. All the pieces are in balance, delivering a compelling and age-worthy wine.

Wine Details
Vine Age: 19 years
Elevation: 2,200 ft
Aspect: East, northeast, north
Slope: 5%-30%
Soil: Decomposed quartz diorite and limestone
Clones: Pinot Noir 113, 114, 115, 667, 777, Swan, and 'Pisoni'
Fermentation: Native primary and malolactic
Alcohol: 13.50%
Elevage: 17 months in French oak barrels
Bottling: No filtration or fining
[Information provided by Merchant23]

2017 Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard
Producer: Big Basin Vineyards
Place of Origin: United States, Central Coast
Color: Red
Grape/Blend: Pinot Noir
Rating: 93
Drinking Window: 2020 - 2029
From: Santa Cruz Mountains: Wines of Breathtaking Pedigree (Sep 2020)
The 2017 Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard is a dense, powerful wine. Dried cherry, cinnamon, blood orange, spice and dried flowers lend aromatic complexity. The 2017 has quite a bit of structure, but it is also drinking very well today. Time in the glass really brings out a whole range of floral, spiced notes. There is plenty of intrigue, that much is clear.
By: Antonio Galloni in September 2020

Big Basin 2017 Coastview Vineyard Pinot Noir (Monterey County)
From: Monterey County, Central Coast, California, US
Rating: 92
Winery: Big Basin
Region: Central Coast
Alcohol: 13.5%
Variety: Pinot Noir
Wine Type: Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Issue Date: 11/1/2020
Tart strawberry, plum extract, crushed stone and pinches of herb and soil show on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. Dried herbs, dried hibiscus, tea leaves and light red-currant flavors ride bright acidity into the finish.
Reviewed by: Matt Kettman

BIG BASIN Pinot Noir, Coastview Vineyard 2017
Rating: 92
Vintage: 2017
Drink: 2020-2027
Country: United States
Region: California
Appellation: Central Coast, Monterey
Report Date: May, 2020
Editor: M. D'Angelo
Big Basin's Coastview Vineyard Pinot Noir has aromas of red cherry, strawberries, clove, tilled soil and rose petals. It possesses a medium body with an elegant soft texture and great overall balance of fruit and acidity. This is drinking well now and will continue to evolve over the next 5-7 years.