Cobb - Docs Ranch Swan & Calera Pinot Noir 2018

After spending nearly a decade honing his winemaking skills, Ross approached his parents with the idea of founding Cobb Wines with a vision that would allow the family to guide every step of the process, from the farming of the vineyard to the crafting of a style that celebrated the site. The first vintage of Coastlands Vineyard Pinot Noir was a mere 130 cases. The wine sold quickly, and Ross never looked back.

Sitting on the same ridgeline as Coastlands, Doc’s Ranch faces Southeast with a clear view of Pt. Reyes. It’s planted with a more modern layout than Coastlands, spacing the vines tightly as they careen down the steep hillside. Though younger than Coastlands, Doc’s warms up earlier in the day due to its orientation and it’s protected against the harsher westerly winds that hammer neighboring Coastlands. While still a shy yielding site, Doc’s has trended toward better fruit set than Coastlands with wines showing bracing acidity and an intense purity to the fruit. The Chardonnay is equally impressive, inspiring Ross to bottle a tiny production block designate that has become one of the favorite wines in the Cobb portfolio.

The first vintage of Doc’s Ranch in the Cobb lineup was 2017 and the results were stunning. One can only imagine how future vintages will improve as these vines develop with age.

"Ross Cobb's 2018 Pinots are impressive. All of the wines are delineated and precise, but they are also a bit compact at this stage. That should not come as a surprise to readers who know the wines, as Cobb's Pinots typically need a few years in bottle to fully recover from bottling. All of the Pinots see 22 months in barrel (30% new), which is quite long by California standards. The 2018s don't quite reach the heights of the 2017s, but that was a truly magical vintage of the kind that does not come around too often. Readers who enjoy structured, vibrant Pinots will find so much to like in these new releases. The Pinots from Doc's Ranch, a property next to Cobb's own Coastlands, are especially of note." - Antonio Galloni Vinous

"The 2018 Pinot Noir Doc's Ranch Swan & Calera Selection is scented of red cherries and cranberries with tones of bitter citrus, tobacco leaves, dried flowers and Angostura bitters. Light-bodied, silty and incredibly fresh, its slim frame holds a surprising amount of pure, crunchy fruits, and it finishes with tremendous length and spicy layers. The Swan clone fruit included in this cuvée comes from vines planted in 1995, and the Calera clones were planted in 2011. It's another 2018 from the Cobb portfolio that offers both ageability and immediate appeal." - 97 points, Wine Advocate

"The 2018 Pinot Noir Doc's Ranch Vineyard Swan & Calera Selection is another fabulous wine in this range that brings together two heritage clones. Swan clone aromatics emerge from time to time, but the Calera tannins are a bit dominant at this stage. Here, too, readers will have to be very patient. There is a lot of wine here, for those who can wait." - 96 points, Antonio Galloni Vinois

Producer: Cobb

Country: USA

Region: California

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Appellation: Sonoma Coast

Vintage: 2018

Size: 750ml