Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Bodega Theriot Vineyard 2024

I referenced the success of this wine in the note above. With the Occidental Ridge, it is hard to say exactly what elevated it in 2024. With this Bodega Thieriot I think it’s obvious, vineyard maturity. Coming after several years of drought busting rainy winters, we finally have a vineyard that is fully established. All the unevenness of the early crops has been successfully navigated and now we have more uniform consistency across the 3 blocks at this 7.5-acre Pinot Noir vineyard. With good root development these past few years, we have also been able to begin trimming irrigations which contributes additional concentration in the 2024. Vineyard maturity coupled with the magical combination of this hillside and the Calera clone produced what might be the best wine in this lineup. This and the Platt are the two darkest wines owing to the thick skins and small berries created by the wind-swept Freestone hillside. A brooding, Burgundian nose gives a first impression of a shy wine but the crunchy red fruited entry on the palate quickly turns the wine into a juicy, multilayered powerhouse. Wood smoke, rosehip, crushed vitamin, raspberry, incense and wet earth weave their way through the entirety of the palate. What stamps itself most vividly though is the persistent acidity creating a lively, mouthwatering Pinot that stays light even in the shadow of all its power.