Eden Rift - Estate Pinot Noir2021
RED WINE
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Producer
Eden Rift
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Blend
100% Pinot Noir
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Country
USA
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Region
California
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Appellation
Cienega Valley
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UPC
8 50003 38810 6
Reviews
Decanter 93
Eden Rift's flagship Pinot Noir is composed of Dijon clones 115, 828, and 777, and vinified with 30% whole cluster fermentation on native yeasts. The wine is aged for 10 months in 30% new French oak. It opens with a bright, spicy nose and finely etched red berry fruit, joined by blood orange, spiced plum, dried sage, and pressed wildflowers. The finish is savoury and grounded, marked by loamy earth and subtle mineral tones.
by JC, Decanter , 2025
Jeb Dunnuck 92
The winery's flagship red, the 2021 Pinot Noir Estate comes off the estate's central blocks, planted mostly to Dijon, Pommard, and some heritage clones. Ashy, earthy, and forested, the aromatics rise to the top of the experience, perfumed in dried rose petal, violet, and lavender. With 30% whole-cluster fermentation and 30% new oak, it has balance and length, with a lasting hit of black tea and citrus peel.
by VB, Jeb Dunnuck , 2025
Vinous Media 91
The 2021 Chardonnay Estate lifts from the glass with a flinty blend of dried flowers, incense and crushed green apples. It is crisp and energetic within, with crunchy mineral tones contrasting its ripe orchard fruits as a flourish of sweet spice enhances the finish. The 2021 tapers off long and gently tannic, leaving the palate dry and aching for more.
by EG, Vinous Media , 2024
Wine Advocate 92
The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate features a predominance of Dijon clones fermented 30% whole cluster in 30% new French oak. Red and blue-fruited aromas mix with woody, savory tones and a high-toned, refreshing energy. The palate is silky and delicate yet impressively saturated and structured, closing with elegant minerality and soft fruits on the finish.
by ML, Wine Advocate , 2024
Technical Details
Estate
Under Vine Since 1849 – Eden Rift is the oldest continuously producing estate vineyard in California. Located just 20 miles from the Monterey Bay, the 120-acre estate rests on the San Andreas Faultline and is part of the Cienega Valley AVA. Early vintners saw potential in the limestone and dolomite-rich soil, planting Pinot Noir on the estate in 1860. Post prohibition, the focus on Pinot Noir & Chardonnay was lost until 2016 when Christian Pillsbury acquired the estate. Christian assembled a team of young industry professionals starting with winemaker Cory Waller to once again create some of California’s most vivid energetic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The extreme terraces and diverse terroir in a single contiguous valley make California’s oldest estate vineyard one of its most exciting new projects.
Tasting notes
The Estate Pinot Noir is elegant and vibrant in nature. It is extremely focused showing both red-tone and black-tone fruits. As it opens, it reveals notes of spiced cranberry, wild blackberry, black cherry, as well as pomegranate, violets, black teas and chalk-like, mineral notes. It shows medium weight with great depth as well as round yet youthful, chalky tannin structure. The wine offers a great finish and will continue to evolve over the next decade or longer.
Vinification
Originating from neighboring estate blocks C, D & E, three clones of Pinot Noir were hand-harvested over multiple dates in September. Gently crushed, with approximately 33% of clusters remaining whole, the must was transferred to open-top tanks and bins. Fermented on native yeast the juice had, on average, fourteen-days of skin contact. During the extraction period the caps were punched down by hand 2-3 times a day. Once pressed, the wine was racked to French oak barrels from assorted coopers. Ultimately, the wine was barrel aged for eleven months before being bottled on August 24.
