2017 Sonoma-Loeb Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 750 ml

Our friendship with 100-point winemaker Phil Titus dates back some 25 years. The man behind Titus Vineyards and Coho, he’s a legend in the field, and the guy to talk to if you want to understand the psyche—and palate—of a classic Cabernet drinker.

In his 30-year tenure at Chappellet, he’s produced a run of career-defining Cabs, including two releases off Pritchard Hill that won perfect scores from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, with one review exclaiming: “Hallelujah—this is perfection!!”

So when Phil gave us a call saying he wanted to try us out on something he’d never shared before—and non-Cabernet related—we were intrigued, to say the least.

We caught up with him in the Chappellet cellar, where he uncorked this crimson Sonoma-Loeb Pinot and poured it into a glass balanced on top of a barrel. “I haven’t really talked up the Sonoma-Loeb label to you before because there wasn’t much point—most of it ends up on the mailing list,” said Phil. “Beyond that there’s just a handful of exclusive distributors… It’s the Cabernet drinker’s Pinot Noir, par excellence.”

After a rapid sellout of 2016, it’s clear Wine Access members agree, and the 2017 Sonoma-Loeb is a stunner: The Pinot Noir is utterly explosive in the glass. Supple, perfumed aromas of red and purple florals give way to black cherry, espresso bean, and mocha. Decadently fruited with dark berries and laced with long, silky tannins, it evokes the powerhouse Pinot stylings of Mark Aubert and Paul Hobbs. We were hooked at first sip, and you will be too.

“Total crossover appeal,” Phil continued. “This bottle gives you all that California warmth, power, and richness, but poured into a sleek, elegant Pinot structure. And the 2017 vintage just took things to a whole other level.”

Our only complaint was that he hadn’t told us sooner, because this bottle hits the magic sweet spot of value and quality. Phil explained that he’d been making wine for Sonoma-Loeb since 1990. It was started by John Loeb, a renowned businessman, philanthropist, and ambassador to Denmark, who’d once served as a delegate to the United Nations. He was also a lover of wines who had wisely snapped up top vineyards in the Sonoma Valley in the 1970s.

The grapes from his vineyards were in high demand, and sold to the top bidders; Phil was hired to make a limited Pinot Noir from the rest, applying his Cabernet savvy to the delicate Burgundian grape. Distribution and production were kept small, and buyers always wanted more. When Loeb decided to retire, Chappellet acquired the Sonoma-Loeb brand, and assigned top dirt doctor David Pirio to work with Titus, perfecting the farming practices.

Their hard work paid off in Sonoma’s pitch-perfect 2017 vintage, hailed by critics as a landmark year. But now they had a problem: We wanted at least 200 cases, and we weren’t going away without them. After some back and forth, we came away with 70. Power, grace, and that fantastically fresh ripeness that Phil does like no one else.