2021 Strala Vineyards Pinot Noir Richardson Ranch Vineyard West Sonoma Coast 750 ml

Richardson Ranch has been in the same family since 1876. The Richardsons arrived on the Sonoma Coast as timber people, acquiring thousands of acres of coastline and forest near Stewarts Point and Annapolis—remote enough that the family still runs the general store that has anchored the town for over a century. In 2012, they planted a 25-acre vineyard: 750 to 800 feet elevation, a southwest-facing slope, four and a half miles from the Pacific Ocean.

Close enough to feel every marine influence, high enough to spend most summer afternoons above the fog line, the site combines coastal wind and Ohlson sandstone soils in ways that make it almost uniquely suited to Pinot Noir. Lower natural sugars, electric acidity, savory complexity that builds over time—these are the signatures of the West Sonoma Coast at its best.

Jason Ray—founder of Napa Select Vineyard Services, which manages more than 1,500 acres across Napa and Sonoma’s most distinguished vineyards—holds first rights to the fruit. His decision to bring Koschitzky in as winemaker says everything about how seriously the Rays take what this site can produce.

As Director of Winemaking at Atelier Melka, Koschitzky has accumulated a remarkable collection of 100-point scores alongside Philippe Melka and earned a place on Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list. He is particular about the projects he takes on.

The 2021 growing season gave him exceptional raw material. After the smoke-affected 2020 vintage, it was a reprieve: consistent temperatures, no damaging heat events, and a drought that stressed the vines in exactly the right ways. Smaller berries and lower yields concentrated everything the vineyard had to offer—winemakers across the coast called it one of the most age-worthy vintages in years.

In the cellar, Koschitzky brought the same precision he applies to Napa’s most coveted labels. Heritage clones were night-harvested, fermented with 25% whole clusters in open-top tanks with native yeast, and kept on skins for 18 days before a gentle press. Sixteen months in 100% French oak—40% new—then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Nothing added, nothing taken away.