Anaba Wines Pinot Noir Define Series Sonoma Coast 2021

Anaba is a small family-owned winery in Sonoma, revered for their cool-climate, limited-production bottlings of pinot noir, chardonnay, and syrah. This Define Series pinot from the Sonoma Coast is one of their smaller productions, and has become a flagship for them – showcasing spectacular vineyards sites across Sonoma Coast. Normally $56 – but we scored a price that is over 40% less!

John Sweazey is the proprietor behind Anaba. Started about two decades back, this family owned winery was the culmination of a dream and a vision that John held closely for nearly 40 years. After graduating from Stanford and working for large tech/data companies like IBM – John decided one day that enough was enough. He embarked on a series of adventures – traveling across Europe in a VW bus and enjoying the wines and conviviality of Burgundy, Rhone, and beyond. He returned to raise a family, but never stopped dreaming.

When the opportunity arose to buy a plot of land on the western edge of Carneros, bordering the famed Sangiacomo vineyard, John, at long last, fulfilled his destiny. As time went on, he made more and more friends in the industry, and expanded the Anaba portfolio to include these precious vineyard sites along the way. Big name sites like Sangiacomo’s Roberts Road, and the Dutton Ranch’s Mill Station vineyard, along with smaller, virtually unheard of family vineyards scattered across the North Bay were all brought into the fold – and the quality of the wines started to get noticed by the top critics. Recent single vineyard bottlings have scored as high as 97 points from The Wine Advocate, and even their entry level, Sonoma Coast pinot noir scored a solid 93 points from the same critic. This Define Series is relatively new, and never yet submitted for scores – so you’re gonna have to trust me here – it’s fantastic!

A combination of Sonoma Coast vineyards – all within a few miles of the Pacific – are the source material here, all harnessed and expressed brilliantly by winemaker Katy Wilson. She’s built a resume that includes stints at Sonoma mainstays like Flowers, Kamen, Smith Story, and more, even earning a feature in Forbes for her work here at Anaba. The style here is quintessentially California, yet highlighting the cool-climate expression of her sites. High-toned aromas of roses and crushed raspberries are harnessed with hints of baking spice and lavish barrel accents. In the mouth, Russian River’s classic black cherry makes a bold statement, but reigned in deftly with accents of fresh mint, and wild notes of fennel. Tart cranberry tea, with candied orange peels, and a final flourish of earthy, leathery spices completes the experience – and what an experience it is! For just over $30 a bottle – this is one of the best Sonoma Coast pinots you’ll find anywhere… but hurry! We don’t have much to go around!

FOOD PAIRINGS: I went ahead and paired this with a pastrami sandwich from my local deli. The briny, smoky, peppery brisket was a perfect match for bright red berry fruits, and the sauerkraut really popped with those wild herb sensations. A bit of marbled rye kept it all together, and presto! One of the better off-the-wall pinot pairings I’ve had lately.