2023 DuMol Bressay Estate Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

The 2023 Pinot Noir Bressay Estate Vineyard is a powerful, exotic wine. Dark fruit, graphite, lavender, incense and dried flowers infuse the palate with tremendous intensity and tons of pure, sheer power. Vertical tannins convey brooding intensity. The 50% stems are nearly buried here. This young wine has so much potential. Drink 2026-2038

96-98 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous January 2025

A super-focused, single-vineyard wine with intense fruity, bitter and savory flavors forming a fascinating blend. Dried blueberries, black cherries, creme de cassis, amaro liqueur, spices and great depth. So much intensity is bundled into this compact, energized and age-worthy wine made from a single block in the winery’s own Bressay Vineyard. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.

97 points James Suckling June 2025

The bright ruby/magenta-hued 2023 Pinot Noir Bressay Estate Vineyard comes from vines behind the vineyard house, mainly planted to the Calera selection, and saw 40% whole clusters. The nose is more intense, with notes of wild raspberries, brambly herbs, floral perfume, and spice box. The palate is medium-framed, with refined, elegant tannins and a lovely, savory feel. As it opens in the glass, it gains in depth and complexity, and I would not be surprised to see this perform even better at future tastings. Drink 2027-2047.

95+ points Jeb Dunnuck, February 2025

The Bressay Pinot Noir is the favourite wine of the DuMOL team each vintage. From the mid-section of the organically farmed Bressay Estate where sandy, shallow soil sits over a sandstone bedrock very close to the surface. The soils are shallow enough to make the vines work hard, but not to the extent that irrigation is required. The vineyard was planted in 2005 and is just starting to come into its own now. Bressay wines tend to combine intensity with freshness. Skins tend to be thick, full of aroma and flavour potential with vibrant crunchy acidity.

Set high on the western Sonoma Coast, Bressay Estate is one of DuMol’s most distinctive sites, exposed to cold Pacific winds and long, slow ripening seasons that build detail and structure. Winemaker Andy Smith has spent years refining his approach here, working with low yielding vines and a mix of clones to capture both intensity and finesse from this rugged, coastal vineyard.

The wine opens with a deeper, more brooding aromatic profile. Black cherry and raspberry sit alongside plum and a hint of blueberry, lifted by rose petal and violet. There is a strong savoury thread, forest floor, dried herbs and a subtle sea spray note that speaks directly of the site, with oak adding gentle spice and structure rather than overt flavour.

On the palate it is layered and composed, medium to full bodied for Pinot Noir with fine, persistent tannins giving shape and length. The fruit is concentrated but precise, supported by fresh acidity that keeps everything in balance. Flavours move from dark berries into savoury, mineral tones, finishing long with spice and a faint iron like edge.

Winemaking is meticulous, hand harvesting, native ferments and careful use of whole cluster, followed by élevage in French oak to build texture while preserving vineyard character. The result is a Pinot that feels both powerful and transparent, a clear reflection of the Sonoma Coast.

This is a natural partner for more substantial dishes. Roast duck, lamb or venison all work beautifully, as do mushroom based dishes where the wine’s earthy notes can echo the flavours.

It will reward patience. While approachable with air now, ten to fifteen years in the cellar will bring more complexity, with notes of dried rose, forest floor and spice emerging as the structure softens.