Wines Distinctive Wines from the North Coast

In 2018, we received a fateful phone call from our friend Roger Scommegna. He had just harvested one of his vineyards—a prime site for extreme-elevation, coastal Pinot Noir atop Cold Mountain in the Mendocino Ridge AVA. The vineyard was called Signal Ridge, and he wanted us to make wine from it. When he brought us the Pinot Noir fruit, we were instantly blown away by the aromatics and structure. The plan was simply to make a delicious Pinot to share with friends, but when we tasted the finished wine, we knew we couldn’t keep it to ourselves. The next year, when Roger asked us if we wanted more fruit, the answer was obvious.

The long, steady 2019 growing season allowed for very gradual, gentle ripening of the Swan, Pommard, and 2A clone Pinot fruit, resulting in excellent concentration and complexity. We fermented the Pinot with one-third whole cluster fruit, macerating for 21 days before aging in one-third new French oak barrels for 16 months, in order to craft a balanced, nuanced expression of Signal Ridge’s remarkable terroir. The aromatic, lightly savory 2019 shows aromas and flavors of slate, bing cherry, black tea, and white pepper, with firm acidity and vibrant tension on the palate that energize the long, spicy finish.

Visually captivating, with its intense violet-edged garnet color, our 2021 COIL Pinot Noir opens with a vibrant and focused weave of flavors: licorice, cherry, and a touch of allspice. A refined, silky texture, and an ample mid-palate resolve into a long, aromatic finish. The tension created by the freshness, ripe tannins and a kiss of French oak suggest optimum drinkability will extend from the present to beyond 2030.

At every step of the winemaking process, our priority was to maintain the outstanding natural freshness in this wine, limiting exposure to oxygen and keeping cellar temperatures cool. Once-used French oak barrels and frequent lees stirring helped us add satisfying texture and richness to this refreshing, vibrant Chardonnay, without sacrificing the purity of its true varietal identiy.

Pale gold in color, our 2022 COIL Chardonnay leads with subtle notes of acacia honey, Asian pear, and minerality. As the wine opens, it reveals considerable body and an exciting tension that lifts the wine, creating depth and harmony. In the finish, look for a touch of hazelnut and echoes of the honey-pear-minerality theme introduced earlier.