Freeman Winery

Akiko’s Cuvée Pinot Noir

Freeman has released an Akiko’s Cuvée each year since our inaugural 2002 vintage. To make this special wine, Akiko Freeman and her winemaking staff taste every barrel of our Pinot Noir from the current vintage, and everyone chooses their favorites. Next, each person’s top barrels are blended together to create multiple cuvées. The sample blends are then tasted blind, and a friendly competition ensues. Whose blend will be the team favorite? The resulting wine is called Akiko’s Cuvée, because Akiko’s blend almost always wins.

In this year’s trials, one particular vineyard stood out: Yu-ki Estate. More than 80% of the 2022 Akiko’s Cuvee is comprised of barrels from Yu-ki, and almost all of the vineyard’s Pinot clones are represented in the blend —especially 2A Wadenswil and Dijon 667. The wine also includes two barrels from Jim Pratt’s vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills, which has been part of the Akiko’s blend almost every year since 2005, and one barrel each from Gloria Estate and KR Ranch.

The 2022 vintage marked the final year in a four-year run of less-thanaverage rainfall. Luckily, it was our second consecutive year in the West Sonoma Coast region without wildfire threats during the growing season. The spring and summer were typical, with lots of fog and moderate temperatures. Harvest began in late August and proceeded through most of September with lots of sun, some heat, and perfectly ripe fruit in all of our Pinot Noir vineyards.\

The 2022 Akiko’s Cuvée is a complex blend of our best barrels from the vintage. Typically, Akiko’s is the most subtle wine in our lineup and takes the longest to develop in the cellar. The ’22 falls right in line with this tradition. On the nose, there are fragrant notes of rose petals, spicy berries, loamy earth and just a hint of toast. The palate is full-bodied and evolves beautifully with aeration. The tart fruit flavors are framed by ripe tannin and lead to a very long finish. Enjoy this wine with fine cuisine from 2025 through 2039.