We’re thrilled today to welcome newcomer, Sojourn Cellars, #35 on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 and home of California’s top rated Pinot Noir of the year, to our pages! Sojourn’s Pinot Noirs are highly prized and some of the best that we’ve featured in recent memory.

Today’s Sojourn Cellars 2014 Rodgers Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a beautifully balanced delight with plenty of character.

On the nose, Petaluma Gap freshness, fruit and spice waft from the glass, delivering lush aromas of fresh cherry, Alpine strawberry, dried wild mushroom, black tea leaf, soft spice, subtle fresh herbs and a hint of graphite.

True to its Petaluma Gap roots and Pommard Clone heritage, this wine delivers balanced flavors of cherry black tea, dried mushroom, mixed spice, fresh savory herbs, blackberry bramble, dried forest floor with a hint of white pepper at the very end.

Winemaker Erich Bradley got his start at Arrowood Vineyards and Winery, and went on to hold a winemaking post at Hop Kiln Winery as well as Audelssa Estate Winery in Glen Ellen, which is a position he continues to hold today.

His skill with Pinot Noir shines through in today’s delicious and very highly recommended wine.

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Here’s what the wine press has to say:

94 points - Pinotfile - “Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. The nose is more savory than fruity, offering aromas of potpourri with redder fruits in the background. The intense attack of perfectly ripened cherry fruit is almost numbing, yet the wine is focused and refined. There is plenty of savory spices and a light hand with the oak. The satiny texture is very comforting, and the finish has grand cru length. A perfect marriage of fruit and savory nuances.”

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93 points - Pinot Report - “Medium ruby color; complex and forward aromas of mixed red fruits with spice and herb notes; bright, forward and round flavors of black and red cherries, plum and raspberry with mushroom and herbal notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Bright and forward Pinot with lots of earthy complexity.”

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93 points, Cellar Selection - Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast - “With a small percentage of whole-cluster fermentation, this is a prized, sultry and cohesive wine, nutty in aromas and a sizable pinch of oak that speaks to its youthfulness. Raspberry jam and bitter tea ride over soft waves of integrated tannin and a fierce earthiness. Drink now through 2024.”

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90 points - James Laube, Wine Spectator - “Presents a supple core of rich dark berry, cherry and savory herb and earth notes. This is tannic, ending with a gusty aftertaste that leaves you chewing. Drink now through 2020.”