COBB Rice-Spivak Vineyard Pinot Noir - Sonoma Coast 2017 Bottle

Description

The 2017 Cobb Wines Pinot Noir Rice Spivak Vineyard is a focused, elegant Sonoma Coast expression balancing bright red fruit with savory site character. This translucent ruby wine reveals aromas of ripe cherry, cranberry, and wild strawberry, layered with rose petal, mushroom, and sous bois. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with polished tannins and vibrant acidity. Flavors of Morello cherry and redcurrant evolve into notes of cedar, dried herbs, and orange zest.

Critics highly praise its grace, with Vinous awarding 96 points and Wine Advocate 95+. Born from a warm vintage with cooling coastal influences, the wine remains energetic and precise. Best enjoyed from 2026 to 2032, it pairs perfectly with roast duck or mushroom risotto, offering sophisticated structure and purity.

VINOUS 96 points
Drinking window: 2020 - 2032
Ross Cobb's 2017 Pinot Noir Rice-Spivak Vineyard is light on its feet, perfumed and gracious. Crushed red berries, wild flowers, cinnamon and citrus all perk up this ethereal, mid-weight Pinot. The 50% whole clusters add aromatic presence and savoriness without overpowering the wine. I very much like the sense of energy here. This is such an elegant Pinot.
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: January 2020

THE WINE ADVOCATE 95+ points
Reviewed by: Erin Brooks
Drink Date: 2020 - 2028
Pale ruby-purple, the nose of the 2017 Pinot Noir Rice Spivak Vineyard offers delicate raspberry and strawberry fruits, deeper tones of cranberry and rhubarb, plus top notes of floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is gorgeous, fleshing out to pure, sweet fruits, finely grained and seamlessly fresh with a long, flavor-packed finish. Give it another 2-3 years in bottle.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 95 points
Pungent compostable earth and forest pine form a foundation of savory sensation across the palate of this lively vineyard-designate, brightly intertwined in pomegranate and rhubarb. Grippy and spicy in both baking and Asian spice, it impresses across a lengthy finish.

DECANTER 93 points
Tasted by: Matthew Luczy (at Los Angeles, 03 Aug 2020) Part of Cobb Wines: Playing the 'Pinot Noir long-game'
Drinking Window: 2020 - 2037
Aromas of red cherries, birch and dried cardamom lead to a racy texture, succulent at first then expanding greatly on the palate after some time in the glass. The finish shows notes of pomegranate purée, green peppercorns and potpourri. A pretty and lifted iteration of the Rice-Spivak site.

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ABOUT COBB WINES
Cobb Wines is a family owned producer in Napa Valley, California, noted for focused single vineyard expressions and a steady pursuit of quality across its small portfolio. The estate was established by Tom Cobb and is now led by his son Michael Cobb, who combines family stewardship with practical innovation in both vineyard and cellar. The team concentrates primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties, selecting sites and clones to capture concentration, balance and a clear sense of place.

Vineyards occupy a variety of sites across the valley, from well drained hillside blocks to more fertile valley floor parcels, providing diverse soils and mesoclimates. Vine age ranges from mature plantings to recently renewed parcels, and the estate applies sustainable practices to promote soil health and vine longevity. Canopy management, yield control and block by block harvest decisions are central to the viticultural approach, aimed at preserving natural acidity and varietal clarity.

Winemaking is directed by Michael Cobb with support from an experienced cellar team. The cellar philosophy favours gentle extraction and careful handling, using whole berry fermentations where appropriate, temperature controlled ferments and considered maceration to build structure without obscuring fruit purity. Maturation is carried out in selected French oak barrels of varying age and toast to complement rather than dominate site character. Regular blending trials are used to refine each bottling for balance, length and the ability to age.

The range includes approachable estate wines and limited release single vineyard bottlings that highlight site distinctiveness and vintage variation. In favourable years critics note ripe dark fruit, pepper and spice, fine tannin and an underlying mineral thread, with wines that develop greater complexity with bottle age. The Cobb family continues to invest in clonal selection, vine renewal and cellar technique to sustain long term quality and to express the varietal and site diversity of Napa Valley.