Here are some wineries that obviously did have the means and will power to produce magnificent 2011 Pinot Noirs: Williams Selyem, Merry Edwards, Paul Hobbs, Rochioli, Lynmar, Dutton-Goldfield, Joseph Phelps, Failla, Thomas Fogarty, Flowers, Testarossa, Tantara, Freeman, Sojourn, Siduri and Foxen. The usual suspects, you say? Exactly. The reason they’re the usual suspects is because these wine companies do what has to be done to produce great wine.

Other local wineries utilize the nuanced grapes from the Sonoma Coast. Among them are: MacPhail, Littorai, Paul Hobbs, Halleck Vineyards, Martinelli and Freeman Winery. In fact the Freeman Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir delivers the quintessential flavor of this area – elegant, mysterious, contemplative and simply a stunner in a glass. If visiting, the Timber Cove Inn poses a welcoming retreat overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

For that reason, a small group of vintners banded together in 2011 to form the West Sonoma Coast Vintners (WSCV) to set themselves apart from the much broader Sonoma Coast and distinguish the West Sonoma Coast as one of the world’s leading regions for cool weather Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.

“We got together to form an organization that can help consumers understand who we are and help define the region,” said Ken Freeman, one of the founding members of the group, who owns Freeman Vineyards & Winery, with his wife, Akiko, the winemaker. He explained that when the Sonoma Coast AVA was formed it seemed to be put together with what was left over from other Sonoma County growing regions and didn’t fit in an existing appellation. “There was no rhyme or reason” that an appellation included areas 20 miles from the coast, said Freeman. Some vineyard land in the Sonoma Coast AVA abuts the Napa County line, others skirt the northern edge of San Pablo Bay.

I’ve also been very happy with several other California pinot noir makers, including Failla Hirsch Vineyard, Freeman, Williams Selyem, and Morlet Family, all producing fine examples of what the varietal should be -- a medium bodied, velvety wine with flower and bright fruit flavors.

The wines were simply put, impressive. The earlier vintages had aged beautifully and the most recent vintages were very approachable. This last feature is the rub since many wine lovers will not be able to keep their hands off these wines upon release and therefore not experience the nuances that develop over time in the bottle. The style was consistent, yet the wines reflected vintage differences. Each wine displayed an appealing elegance, a moderate and balanced tannic structure, and crisp fruit expression. Finesse was featured over fruit heaviness, especially evident in the more recent vintages. I found that the most striking aromatic vibrancy and purity began to appear with the 2005 vintage wine. My tasting notes follow. When it comes to older Pinot Noir, there is no absolute rating, only a snapshot in time, but the wines were scored to reflect some current judgment.