Flowers

Over three decades ago, Flowers Winery planted their vineyards in the rugged northwest corner of Sonoma County, which had long been considered too cold, wet, or extreme for wine growing. It wasn’t easy, but today Flowers produces some of the county’s most distinctive Chardonnay wines that delight with balance, pure fruit, freshness, minerality, and bright acidity. The 2020 vintage year was a challenge as winter rains were few - even at the coast. However, while yields, grape clusters, and berries came in smaller than usual, the fruit showed outstanding purity, complex flavors, and dense textures. Inside the winery, low-impact methods, such as native yeast fermentation, low sulphur additions, and a mix of stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels allowed the inherent qualities of the fruit to shine. Awarding this wine 93 points, James Suckling called it “a linear and tight white with sliced lemon and green apple, as well as hints of honeysuckle. Medium body with a creamy texture and a salty, jasmine undertone to the fruit at the finish. Solid. Phenolics.” The wine’s bright acidity and freshness suggest excellent pairing with raw or lightly cooked shellfish, seafood terrines, or creamy risotto with scallops.

Sitting well above the fog line, the vines in the Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard enjoy plenty of sunshine without high temperatures because the vineyard literally overlooks the ocean. Planted in 1991, this organic and biodynamically-farmed vineyard produces the exceptional fruit for this distinctive Chardonnay. Inside the winery, low-impact methods, such as native yeast fermentation, low sulphur additions, and a mix of stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels enhance the natural flavors of the Chardonnay fruit. James Suckling described this wine as “unique in character, with sliced apple, honeysuckle and lavender. Spearmint, too. It’s medium-bodied with some pine and cooked-apple character in the palate. Flavorful, yet sophisticated and thoughtful. Minerally, compact and focused.” The wine’s bright acidity and freshness suggest excellent pairing with raw or lightly cooked shellfish, seafood terrines, or creamy risotto with scallops.

Whether you see rosé as a fad or a delight, this wine should convince you that rosé can be made to take seriously. Sourced from the same, small vineyards along the rugged Sonoma Coast as Flowers’s other impeccable wines, this is an elegant style of rosé made from 100% Pinot Noir. Gentle pressing and native yeast produced a rosé with a delightful salmon hue, lifted aromas of red berries, grapefruit, and rose petals, and a complex palate of raspberry, watermelon, fresh acidity, and stony minerality. While priced higher than supermarket rosé, it is one of California’s best and serves as an excellent introduction to Flowers's portfolio of wines.

Bright ruby color, charming nose, refreshing palate, and an outpouring of lively flavors — that’s the coastal style of Pinot Noir that Flowers Winery, as one of the first to plant vineyards at the western edge of Sonoma County, helped to define. Sourced from the estate as well as local growers, this wine expresses the terroir of the rugged Northern California coast, where a cool climate and rocky soils produce an elegant, structured wine with a complex profile of opulent fruit, soft tannins, bright acidity, and minerality. In 2021, winter rains were sparse, which led to a lighter crop and smaller bunches and berries. But mild temperatures at the end of the growing season produced fruit of outstanding quality. About this wine, the Wine Spectator said, “This has racy, mouthwatering acidity coursing underneath the core notes of mulberry, bitter cherry, and blackberry. Shows the streamlined tang of a coulis, while offering a range of additional bramble, anise, and savory tea details through the finish. Delicious.” Roast lamb, pork tenderloin, grilled salmon or shiitake risotto are just a few pairing suggestions.

The Sea View Ridge Vineyard looks out across the Pacific Ocean from an elevation of 1400 - 1875 ft (426 - 521 m). An ancient seabed, the soils are shallow and rocky with a mix of broken sandstone and shale as well as volcanic soils in the lower blocks. Dijon, 777, Pommard, Calera and Swan clones were planted in 1998 and are farmed organically and biodynamically. Compared with Camp Meeting Ridge, the soils have significantly more volcanic ash, which, according to the winery, makes the Seaview Ridge Pinots plusher and rounder on the palate. Moreover, the diverse clones produce a style of pinot that features high-toned fruit aromatics of huckleberry and strawberry balanced by a beautiful, minty, forest-floor earthiness. This is Pinot with the kind of brilliant acidity, vibrant minerality and hint of salinity only vineyards so close to the ocean can produce. Pour a glass and be patient: let the layers of nuance and mystery unfold slowly from the glass. 

Floral notes - lilac, rose petals, and rose hips - swirl in tandem amidst layers of crushed red berries, plums, savory herbs and earthy minerality. Here’s a wine that lives up to its label! Sourced from the estate as well as local growers, this wine expresses the terroir of the rugged Northern California coast, where a cool climate and rocky soils produce an elegant, structured wine with a complex profile of opulent fruit, soft tannins, bright acidity and minerality. In 2019, the winter brought above-average rainfall (an even a dusting of snow) to the vineyards, ensuring that irrigation would not be needed all summer. Over the summer, regular coastal fog kept summer days from getting hot, allowing the grapes to ripen evenly and slowly. This is superb Pinot Noir. Jeb Dunnuck described it as “ruby-hued (with) pure, classic, textbook notes of ripe cherries, raspberries, spring flowers, and underbrush. The balance is spot on, it has ripe, present tannins, good freshness, and a great finish.” Roast lamb, pork tenderloin, grilled salmon or shiitake risotto are just a few pairing suggestions.