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Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Ama 2021 · Sonoma Coast, California

Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Ama is made from grapes grown on the family's 53-acre estate vineyard, located above a river gorge in the far northwestern corner of the Sonoma Coast, 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean at Sea Ranch. The vineyard sits in the chilly inversion layer, with fog and wind from the ocean maintaining cool temperatures with plenty of sunlight.

Producer

Peay Vineyards is a first-generation family winery. Husband and wife Nick Peay and Vanessa Wong grow and make the wine, and brother Andy Peay and his wife Ami sell the wine and run the business. Winemaker Vanessa Wong left her position as winemaker at Peter Michael Winery in 2001 to launch Peay Vineyards; formerly she worked at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros and Hirsch Winery.

In a multitude of languages, ama means "love, being of love, a Japanese female diver, grandmother, and land or place." The last definition is pertinent, as Ama means "land or place" in the Kashaya language of the Pomo people, who thrived in this region of the Pacific Coast for millennia. By the 2009 vintage, the more recently planted blocks were revealing a distinct expression of Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir and deserved to be elevated to a vineyard designate named Ama.

Winemaking and Viticulture

Peay Vineyards farms organically and maintains licenses for fish friendly farming and integrated pest management. The winery also runs on bio-diesel at the vineyard and solar power at both the vineyard and winery.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Jeb Dunnuck, 97 Points — The 2021 Pinot Noir Ama is dark ruby, with notes of red cherry and apple skin. The palate is full-bodied and has great structure, with a broad texture, ripe tannins and notes of dark cherry, tea leaf, and forest earth. It’s long on the palate and has a good finish.

Robert Parker, 94 Points — The 2021 Estate Pinot Noir Ama is powerful and perfumed this vintage. It offers aromas broody aromas of red and black cherries and aniseed with top notes of saline and citrus peel. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with generous berry fruit and floral accents, and it has a long, spicy finish.

Details

• Producer: Peay Vineyards
• Region: Sonoma Coast, California
• Vineyard: Ama, 53-acre estate vineyard
• Varietal: Pinot Noir
• Vintage: 2021
• Size: 750ml
• Farming: Organic, with fish friendly farming and integrated pest management
• Winemaker: Vanessa Wong

Producer Description 

Water, alcohol, sugar, pears and burnt sugar are blended together in refrigerated vats. When the alcohol content reaches a desirable level, the mixture is then filtered and bottled.