2021 Ceritas "Occidental Vineyard" Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

The technique is amazing, but the climates are different. But…if there were American wines that brought to mind the wines of Burgundy, Ceritas would be near the very top. Crisp, mineral, with just the right amount of California sunshine: Ceritas Chardonnays are likely the closest thing America has to Grand Cru Chablis. The Pinot Noirs are a thing of beauty. Rich on the front, but super bright and elegant on the finish. Ceritas means “mineral expression of the soil.” That sounds just about right. The owners are John Raytek (also the winemaker) and his spouse Phoebe Bass. John cut his teeth at as the assistant winemaker at Copain and later helped plant the vineyards at Rhys.   "One of the sites we longed for holding was the Occidental Vineyard on Taylor Lane. Steve Kistler planted this site (in partnership with the Dutton family) in 1990 using heritage selection massale Pinot Noir material. For many years, this site supplied grapes for his coveted Cuvee Catherine. The Dutton’s decision t