Review: Gary Farrell Pinot Noirs – 2021 Lancel Creek and 2023 Sonoma Coast

The latest pinot noirs from Gary Farrell have arrived, both from the Sonoma Coast region. The 2023 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is the inaugural release of this expression. Let’s give them both a spin.

2021 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Lancel Creek Vineyard – A Sonoma Coast single vineyard offering. Intense now, the wine is a heavy-duty dive into intense and quite tart cranberry and cherry notes, touched with notes of anise, black tea, and dark chocolate, all in a swirl. An insistent note of rosemary builds up a greener quality, increasingly herbal as the wine develops. Some balsamic notes are present as the finish arrives, but time in glass helps to temper some of the weightier, heavier qualities. Let it linger. A- / $75

2023 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – A cracking pinot noir, loaded with the flavor of black cherries and a hint of blackberry, adding a more smoldering, black-fruit element to the experience. Punchy, expressive notes of black tea and cola inform a gently chocolate-infused finish, but the overall encounter is focused on that rich berry fruit. It’s never too extracted, but it gets close at times — the winemaker has pulled every last bit of flavor out of this wine that they could. But fortunately, ample acidity keeps the wine from getting overblown, firing perfectly throughout its juicy journey. A / $50

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