By Fort Ross Vineyard and Winery
2018 'Stagecoach Road' Pinot Noir, Fort Ross Vineyard, Fort Ross-Seaview

Overview
From our mountain vineyard that overlooks the Sonoma Coast in the Fort Ross-Seaview American Viticultural Area, Fort Ross Vineyard and Winery produces limited quantities of single vineyard, estate-grown, cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinotage. With spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean just less than one mile away, the vineyard is divided into 32 separate blocks, each ranging from one-half to two acres and from 1,700 feet to 1,200 feet above sea level. Owners Lester and Linda Schwartz, and their small crew, began preparing the 55-acre vineyard in 1994. It took them four years of preparation before they could begin planting. The year 2000 marked the first vintage from the Fort Ross Vineyard.

Vintage Details
The 2018 winter was wet and cool, with a brief, unusual warm spell in February that woke some dormant buds. The traditional cold weather resumed, but was interrupted by chilling frost and snow. There was frost damage to several of our Chardonnay blocks and some to a few Pinot Noir blocks. This caused crop reduction but did not affect the exceptional quality of the vintage. Spring and summer were notably cool, and it was, in fact, one of the coldest summers we've seen in several years. The grapes enjoyed a long hang time on the vine, achieving ideal phenolic and aromatic development. Given no heat spikes, we could harvest slowly with great care and had the luxury of dialing in the perfect time to pick. The vine development was so thorough that we incorporated some whole cluster fermentation, adding another layer of complexity to our Pinot Noirs. Pinot Noir was harvested unhurriedly between September 5th and 28th, Chardonnay was picked on September 26th and 27th, and finally, the slower-ripening Pinotage on September 29th.

Winemaking
The grapes for this Pinot Noir were hand-picked during the cool night hours in 2-gallon trays. After hand sorting, the fruit was cold-soaked for several days and fermented in a combination of 5- and 10-ton tanks. The caps were punched down 1 or 2 times per day, depending on the fermentation stage. The wines were then barreled in a combination of 50% new and 50% neutral French oak. Throughout the ten months of barrel aging, the different vineyard lots are kept separate to maintain their distinct flavor profiles and structural components as blending elements. These grapes are sourced from specific blocks where the old Stagecoach Road once ran through our vineyard, and where Black Bart, the infamous "Gentleman Bandit" highwayman, robbed the Wells Fargo Stagecoach in 1877.

Tasting Notes
Stagecoach Road Pinot Noir grapes are grown in the vineyard blocks closest to the ocean, with some of the darkest soils on the estate. It is always our boldest Pinot Noir. This deep, ruby-colored cuvee exudes aromas of black raspberry, cassis, and plum with warm earth and savory notes. The palate is succulent, with layers of black currant, boysenberry, cherry, beetroot, cocoa, and spice. The integrated, well-structured tannins carry through the long, polished finish, enlivened by acidity. This wine is drinking beautifully now and will cellar for years to come.

Wine Details
Appellation: Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma Coast
Source: Fort Ross Vineyard
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Clones: Calera
Aging: 10 months in 100% French oak, 50% new
Bottling: Unfined and unfiltered
Bottled: August 2019
Winemaker: Jeff Pisoni
[Information provided by Matador Vino]

Wine: Fort Ross Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Fort Ross-Seaview Fort Ross Vineyard Stagecoach Road 2018
Score/Rating: 93
Review Date: 03/24/2022
Reviewed By: James Suckling
Tasting Notes: Mildly reductive on the nose, but there are clear aromas of red and black cherries, wild herbs and black licorice. Medium-bodied with gentle tannins. Very well balanced and elegant, with a pleasant mixture of red and black fruit. Earthy, somewhat savory finish. Well structured. Drink or hold.

Wine: Fort Ross Winery 2018 Fort Ross-Seaview Stagecoach Road Pinot Noir
Score/Rating: 93
Review Date: 04/2022
Tasting Notes: This grows at the westernmost blocks of Lester and Linda Schwartz's vineyard, on coastal ridges less than a mile from the Pacific. Powered by coastal energy, this is musky and intense. Its skin tannins bring to mind cranberries and blackberries, with the high-toned lift of roses. It's enriched by the tannins of new oak, big in scale and lasting in flavor, a wine that would stand its ground in the wind on the beach as you grill wild salmon.

Wine: FORT ROSS Pinot Noir, Fort Ross-Seaview ‘Stagecoach Road' 2018
Score/Rating: 91
Suggested Drinking Window: 2022 - 2028
Review Date: 12/2021
Reviewed By: J. Young
Tasting Notes: A dark and brooding Pinot Noir that spends 10 months in 50% new French oak barrels, this wine is dark-fruit driven with aromas of black cherry, boysenberry, cassis, pencil shavings, and a touch of roasted meats that express from the glass. A medium to full-body, medium tannins, high acidity, and a rich mouthfeel present well alongside flavors of black cherry, cedar herbs and wet earth notes.