By Hall Wines
2023 WALT La Brisa Pinot Noir

Background
This blend is comprised primarily of Bob's Ranch, with Gap's Crown and select grower partners throughout Sonoma rounding it out. The wine has a true Sonoma Coast character - deep, earthy aromatics; concentration and depth on the palate; with bright fruit and supple tannin on the finish. We utilized whole-cluster in this vintage to help accentuate the unique character of each site, and we are very pleased with the resulting wine.

Vintage
Remarkably cool and late, the 2023 vintage produced wines of singular character and quality. The winter season started wet, with record rainstorms and mountaintop snowfall, leaving aquifers full and vines healthy. A cool spring indicated the later harvest to come, with a late start to budbreak and a long flowering period on the vines that was accompanied by wildflower super blooms. Through mild summer temperatures, the vines set an ample crop load with strong canopy growth. After patient waiting and long hangtimes, warm weather came at just the right moment in the fall to push ripeness to completion, resulting in wines that are deep, vital, and age-worthy.

Wine Details
Appellation: Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2023
Vineyard: Bob's Ranch and select vineyard partners
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Aging: 10 months in 35% new French oak

Tasting Notes
The 2023 vintage bursts with vibrant cherry, strawberry, and mulberry flavors, accented by toasted spice and dried herb notes. Its plush texture and forward fruit are balanced by cool-climate acidity and a subtle oak influence. The finish is fresh and savory, with smooth tannins and lingering black tea nuances.
[Information provided by Hall Wines]

Wine: Walt 2023 La Brisa Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)
Score/Rating: 93
Review Date: 09/01/2025
Reviewed By: Tim R. Capo
Tasting Notes: Focused aromas of cherries, raspberries and purple flower erupt from the glass of this Pinot. The palate delivers waves of those flavors with plush tannin and a wave of orange peel acid that lingers with echoes of flowers and spice.

Wine: WALT 2023 Pinot Noir La Brisa
Score/Rating: 89
Suggested Drinking Window: 2025 - 2027
Review Date: 07/2025
Reviewed By: Billy Norris
Tasting Notes: The 2023 Pinot Noir La Brisa is an archetypal modern Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, with ample weight, savory nuance and a ripe, muscular core of ripe black cherry fruit. Notes of sage, cinnamon and ink build through the long, intense finish where oak starts to rear its head. Edgy tannins and slightly angular contours compromise the balance right at the finish line.

Wine: 2023 Walt Pinot Noir La Brisa
Score/Rating: 87
Suggested Drinking Window: 2025 - 2029
Review Date: 07/02/2025
Reviewed By: Audrey Frick
Tasting Notes: The 2023 Pinot Noir La Brisa is more assertive on the nose, with notes of tarry earth, baked cherries, and forward cola spice, while the palate is fruity and ripe and has a more pliant feel. It’s going to be at its best over the near term.