2005 Evening Land Vineyards Occidental Vineyard Pinot Noir

Evening Land Vineyards is a family of three estates in Oregon, California and France that was started in 2005 by film producer Mark Tarlov. Based in Santa Rosa, California, the enterprise is now under new ownership, but it continues to produce about 32,000 cases of wine a year. At the moment the estate’s Burgundy venture sources grapes in the Cote d’Or. In Oregon Evening Land has vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills. In California the estate has a vineyard on the Sonoma Coast and on the state’s Central Coast. Evening Land produces red and white Burgundies, Oregon Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Sonoma Coast AVA runs from San Pablo Bay in the south to Mendocino County in the north. It includes 7,000 vineyard acres and earned AVA status in 1987. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean means it gets double the rainfall of nearby inland appellations and the ocean gives the appellation a relatively cool climate. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can thrive in these conditions, and there are numerous producers making critically acclaimed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.