Tonight’s occasion: 2011 Pinot Noir (Red Birds – Sonoma Coast) by Roger Roessler Wines, Sonoma, California
Out of the bottle notes of damp forest floor and ripe cherries. As it opens up, the leather and earth notes only intensify. Dark cherry turns plummy. Swirling unlocks subtle bursts of sweet cherry cola. A very faint black licorice emerges in the distance. You’d almost miss it. I absolutely love the way terroir is expressed here. That signature Sonoma dirt really shines through and I cannot get enough of it!
Body has really come of age. It has had time to beautifully integrate. A soft balanced attack quickly ushers a smooth silky body. Light dark plum and berry essence carries over. Leather notes are equally represented. Crisp, restrained tannins provide great structure without dominating the palate. Body and finish are one with a linear fade. As it tapers off, notes of cola re-emerge as tannins reach out, gently clasping the palate rendering it slightly parched. But the real victor here is a gentle spice which grows with a subtle intensity after the finish.
I have been following Roger Roessler’s wine for well over a decade. Their all small batch production offering reads like a compendium of Pinot Noir from all up and down the pacific coast and makes for a great study for the curios and enlightened palate. There are many reasons we picked Roger Roessler Wines as our 2020 Winemaker of the year. This wine is one of them.
To the entire crew at Roger Roessler Wines, thank you for the great wines all these years!
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Wine Snob 
Hey Bryan! Great to see the Red Birds review this morning! And good timing with our Red Birds Case Sale starting yesterday. I’m loving the way the ‘17 is drinking and think it will be a good one for a few years to come. I took it along to Florida last week and it was a crowd pleaser for sure. (The 16 Lennox and 3BBL were both drinking super as well). We’re bottling the 2020 May 5th and introducing a new look with the Cardinal “Baby Blue” Saturday uniforms they’ve reintroduced… You’re one of the first to see it! 😁👍🏻⚾️🍷
As always, thank you for all your support. Hopefully we can hook up for lunch again now that restaurants are reopening and the covid seems to be improving with the vaccinations.
Take care…
Roger Roessler Roger Roessler Wines 654 Broadway Sonoma, CA. 95476 Cell 707-732-0452
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Hey Roger! I saw that Case Sale. It was too hard to pass up. I was trying to figure out what to review that day and then it clicked. Red Birds!!! I agree the ’17 is very poised right now. I’ve been really eyeing the Lennox and 3BBL and I think they’re coming due for a look/review. I still have some of the older vintages to work through on here too. Tough choices! I can’t wait to see the new “Baby Blue” look!
That would be awesome to do lunch again! I always enjoy hearing about you your passion for and exploits in food and wine. I feel like I should be capturing every bit of it! Name the time and place and I’m there!
Thanks for keeping the amazing wines coming Roger!
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