Medium ruby color; red fruit on the nose; strawberry, blackberry, tart cherry, plum, spearmint, pepper, vanilla on the palate.
Full body for a PN; concentrated fruit flavors, somewhat jammy; oak, vanilla, spice; silky in the mouth; reserved acidity and tannin. This is expected flavor profile of a California pinot noir at this price point. Tasty in big-fruit way, no flaws. Good quality for price for this type of pinot, but know it is not like the etherial efforts you can find in Burgundy or Washington-Oregon (and pay two to three times more for a bottle).
Fred Cline marches to different drummer. While some of his generation played in the 1960s, Fred Cline learned the ways of soil and farming from Valeriano Jacuzzi—Fred Cline’s maternal grandfather and one of seven Jacuzzi brothers who were pioneers in American aviation and water pumps. Yes, when you turn on a Jacuzzi in your hot tub you are enjoying his family’s work. Eschewing aircraft and whirlpool devices, Fred and his wife, Nancy, decided to go into the wine business in the 1980s.
Cline’s first mission was restoring old vines to grow Rhone-style wines. Later came attention to ancient—some more than a century old—zinfandel. It has worked and Cline is a leader in responsible land management and historic preservation. Cline and his wife, Nancy Bunting, own many acres of vineyards throughout Sonoma County, with other properties in Oakley and Tehama.
Passionate about the importance of history, the Clines own and have restored the Dillon Beach Resort, the Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, NV, and the Villa Laura in Tuscany, Italy. The California Missions Museum on the Cline Cellars grounds houses scale models of all 21 California Spanish Missions crafted in the 1930s for the San Francisco World’s Fair.
The Clines also operate Green String Farm, a 150-acre working farm that produces a variety of fruits and vegetables grown on soil that is tended and nurtured without toxic chemicals. Produce from Green String is used by such culinary luminaries as Alice Waters of Chez Pannise.
Jacuzzi Family Vineyards specializes in Italian varietals; it is located across the street from Cline Cellars and is modeled on the Jacuzzi family home in northern Italy. The Olive Press is one of the most recognized artisan olive oil and balsamic makers in the U.S. Tonopah Brewing Company is the only brewery in central Nevada serving American ales, IPAs, pilsners, hefeweizen, and Irish red ale, all brewed in-house.
Cline Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2015 is good example of the heavier, fruitier, oakier style of California pinot noir. Decanting definitely helps mellow the oak and jammy fruit. $13-20
