95 points James Suckling
A classic, distinctive and compelling red. So leafy, floral and tea-like in aromas, then fresh, concentrated and generous on the palate, offering red cherries, sour cherries, black tea, bay leaves and blueberries backed by vibrant acidity and light tannins. Drink now or hold.
94 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Pinot Noir Wester Reach boasts a bright red hue and opens with a spicy, fresh nose that carries a cool-climate edge. Ripe cranberries, lifted spices, fresh roses, and piney herbs lead the aromatics, and it’s medium-bodied and compact on the palate, with a refreshing line of acidity, fine tannins, and a weightless texture. The finish is long and laced with elegant spice. Drink 2025-2037.
94 points Wine Spectator
Bursts with juicy raspberry, mulberry and bitter cherry coulis flavors that stretch out lengthily, plus savory, red tea and rose petal notes that add energy and range. Shows a snap of red licorice and a singed apple wood frame on the finish while keeping its energy up. Best from 2026 through 2036
92 points Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Wester Reach is soft, fruity and easygoing, all of which make it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years or more. Soft contours wrap around a core of red/purplish fruit, sweet spice and flowers. There's lovely immediacy and succulence here. Bright acids pull it all together. Delicious.
Winemaker Notes
Comprised of three of DuMOL's region's unique sub-districts, this wine blends fruits from the valley itself, with vineyards further west, stretching out to the coolest 'reaches' of the appellation's high elevation coastal ridge.
The wine's broad base is centered upon the coastal DuMOL Estate with dark fruit intensity, savory spice, and bright vibrancy. At higher elevation on a ridgetop overlooking the Green Valley, Dutton Ranch offers soaring red and black fruit characters of beautiful purity. On the deeper silty/clays of the Santa Rosa Plains, Occidental Road provides broad fruit extract and textural richness. Flax Estate overlooking the river in the Middle Reach weaves in volume, structure, and density from hillside volcanic soils. Placida on the Laguna Ridge ripens late with impressive texture and lingering mossy complexity
