2017 Hartford Court Sevens Bench Pinot Noir, North County

A spicy nose leads the way to the appellation's earthy funk and a length of cherry vanilla that balances it well. Powerful and weighty, the wine is juicy in orange and tangerine on the midpalate, with firm, supple tannin support and hearty oak.

93 points Virginie Boone wineenthusiast.com

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sevens Bench Vineyard leaps from the glass with open-knit notes of baked red and black cherries, raspberry pie and mulberries with touches of forest floor and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is generous and juicy, offering a plush texture and appealing freshness, finishing long and earthy. 217 cases were made.

92 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown robertparker.com

2017 Hartford Court Sevens Bench Pinot Noir is one of the most site driven and serious wines in the Hartford Court portfolio, drawn from an extreme coastal vineyard in Sonoma’s North Coast where altitude, wind and cold Pacific influence define the style. Sevens Bench sits high above the fog line, exposed and rugged, with very low yielding vines rooted in thin, rocky soils that naturally limit vigour and push Pinot Noir toward savoury complexity rather than fruit sweetness. This is a long, slow ripening site, producing small berries with thick skins, intense aromatics and firm natural acidity, giving the wine its unmistakable tension and structure.

Hartford Court was founded in the early 1990s by Don Hartford and Jennifer Altman with a clear vision to champion cool climate, marginal vineyards across California. From the beginning, the focus was on site expression and balance rather than scale or ripeness, and Sevens Bench has become one of the estate’s most distinctive bottlings. Winemaking here is deliberately restrained, with gentle extraction and carefully judged oak that supports the wine without masking its raw, coastal character. The 2017 vintage was well suited to these conditions, allowing full flavour development while preserving freshness and precision.

In the glass the wine shows a translucent ruby colour with bright clarity. Aromas are complex and evolving, revealing wild strawberry, red cherry and cranberry layered with rose petal, dried herbs, forest floor and a distinctive savoury, almost saline note that reflects the vineyard’s exposure. The palate is tightly wound and energetic, delivering pure red fruit, earthy undertones and fine, persistent tannins carried by vibrant acidity. There is a sense of restraint and quiet power here, with a long, savoury finish that unfolds gradually rather than loudly. It pairs beautifully with roast duck, lamb, mushroom dishes and grilled salmon, and it is built to age gracefully for ten to fifteen years, gaining truffle, spice and coastal savoury complexity as it matures.

2017 Hartford Court Sevens Bench Pinot Noir is a compelling example of cool climate Californian Pinot Noir done with discipline and intent, offering elegance, structure and a strong sense of place from one of the North Coast’s most challenging and expressive vineyard sites.