Regular Price $60, Shhhh. Don’t tell.  Ours is $44.99 with shipping included on 6 bottles or more

We first met Kenneth Juhasz some 20 years ago at a Pinot Noir festival of some sort up in the Russian River Valley. Kenneth, a refugee from Hungary with a background making Pinot Noir in New Zealand, Burgundy and Oregon, had a crowd around his table, all anxious to try the wine everyone was talking about- the much-anticipated debut vintage of Auteur. It was sensational! And, even though Auteur has grown a bit from making a single bottling of Sonoma Coast Pinot, Kenneth is still making some of California’s best artisanal Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from some of its most vaunted vineyards. The secret is, as always, in the grapes- the wines of Auteur are sourced from sites on the North Coast with iconic names like Bacigalupi, Campbell Ranch, Durell, Ferrington, Gaps Crown and Hyde. With great raw material comes great potential, and, in all of my many years of trying various Auteur Pinot Noirs (and Chardonnays), Kenneth and his small band of loyal passionistas have never failed to produce a beautifully made, characterful wine. Like a lot of top wineries who produce wines from these top vineyards, Auteur also bottles an abundance of single site offerings but, as is my wont, I usually gravitate towards the blends- cuvees that take the strengths of each of these unique sites and artfully combine them into a whole greater than the sum of its parts. That’s the other secret at Auteur- great winemaking! The 2022 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, for example,  is a wonderful case in point. Made from a secret sauce of top sites along the cool Sonoma Coast, I am guessing that bright, fresh, nicely concentrated red fruit comes from Hyde and Bacigalupi, while the wine’s super savory notes, complex black tea aromatics and anise-y spice might hail from windy, chilly sites like Gaps Crown and Durell, but what do I know? What we can tell you, it’s a charmingly articulated, particularly elegant rendering of Pinot that’s long on its flattering bouquet and impresses for the impeccable way it balances its innate ‘Californianess’ with a sort of Burgundian finesse, energy and complexity. A thoroughly enjoyable, mouthwatering Pinot that really shows its Sonoma’s coastal roots off to their best advantage, drink it tonight with some grilled lamb chops and don’t skimp on herbs like rosemary and thyme to bring out all that extra deliciousness in the wine! 600 cases produced.

The Wine Independent: Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast flies out with notes of cranberry sauce and kirsch plus nuances of iris bulb, underbrush, and dried sage. The medium to full-bodied palate is bright and refreshing, with soft tannins and lovely purity and length. 93 points

Wine Spectator: Kirsch and red licorice notes are forward and friendly in feel in this red, with light floral and tea notes helping to add range on the lightly toasted finish. Drink now through 2030. 621 cases made. 92 points

Wine Enthusiast: Brilliantly colored in the glass, this native fermented pinot displays a range of savory and roasted aromas on the nose, like grilled plum, stewed black cherry, black tea and sweet cinnamon. There's depth and richness across the palate, and this is definitely more savory and complex than fruit-forward. People looking for a more savory take on Pinot will enjoy this wine. 91 points