Press
Antonio Galloni Reviews the 2015 Pinot Noirs
April 2018
“I was really impressed with Katy Wilson’s wines this year. The 2015 Pinots are fabulous, and may very well be the best wines she has made to date. The very early harvest brought with it a number of challenges, including inconsistent ripening. Because of that, Wilson did not feel the stems were uniformly ripe enough to use in fermentation and all of the wines were done with fully destemmed fruit. Even so, the wines are brilliant, focused and full of personality. Don’t miss them.”
2015 LaRue Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
“The 2015 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) is gorgeous. In this freakish, early-ripening vintage, the Sonoma Coast Pinot is richer and more succulent than normal, and while that is a stylistic departure from the past, there is no denying the resulting wine is striking. Silky tannins and plush fruit add to the wine’s considerable appeal. This is a superb showing. Wow!” 93 points
2015 LaRue Thorn Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir
“The 2015 Pinot Noir Thorn Ridge offers lovely density and mid-palate pliancy to play off the more energetic notes that are typical of this Sonoma Coast site. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint and star anise add an exotic flair to this very pretty, silky Pinot from Katy Wilson.” 93 points
2015 LaRue Rice-Spivak Vineyard Pinot Noir
“The 2015 Pinot Noir Rice-Spivak is the most elegant and nuanced of the three 2015 Pinots I tasted. Finely sculpted in the glass, with terrific energy, the 2015 marries the natural richness of the year with the crispness and delineation that is such a signature of Katy Wilson’s best wines. Sweet red and purplish fruit, floral and mineral notes add nuance throughout. Above all else, though, the 2015 is all class.” 94+ points
2014 LaRue Coastlands Vineyard Pinot Noir
“A wine of real distinction, the 2014 Pinot Noir Coastlands is fabulous. Enticing aromatics and translucent fruit give the Coastlands a sense of total allure that is hard to fully describe. All the elements simply fall into place in an effortless, pedigreed Pinot loaded with class. The 2014 needs time in bottle to develop its full range of aromatics, but it is striking, even at this early stage. Katy Wilson gave her 2014 Coastlands Pinot 32 months in barrel, which is quite long.” 94 points
Forbes Highlights Women-Led Wineries
LaRue Wines, Katy Wilson
“Katy Wilson is a solo entrepreneur who also works as consulting winemaker for several brands: Anaba, Claypool Cellars, Smith Story, Banshee, and Reeve. She was SF Chronicle’s “winemaker to watch” in 2013. I worked alongside her for years and find her to be an impressive businesswoman who never fails to show up without a smile and light spirit. LaRue, which features single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, offers appointment-only tastings and a guest cottage.”
International Wine Report Releases TOP 100 Wines of 2017
December 2017
LaRue Pinot Noir, Thorn Ridge Vineyard 2014, #54, 96 points
“The Thorn Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir from LaRue is a complete standout and one of the most impressive wines from the vintage…”
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International Wine Report Reviews the 2014 Pinot Noirs
LaRue Pinot Noir, Emmaline Ann Vineyard 2014- “This possesses a soft and supple texture on the palate along with expressive fresh red fruits and a lovely touch of acidity keeping this fresh and inviting through the finish.”
Score: 94
LaRue Pinot Noir, Rice-Spivak Vineyard 2014- “The wine itself offers vibrant aromas of wild cherries, dark forest floor, exotic spices and spring flowers which all come together beautifully in the glass.”
Score: 95
LaRue Pinot Noir, Thorn Ridge Vineyard 2014-“After a few hours of air it begins to blossom with exotic spices, smoke, fresh roasted coffee and minerals. The refined and elegant texture and shows great overall balance and focus through the long, pretty finish. Overall this is a simply dazzling wine.”
Score: 96
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Prince of Pinot Reviews 2014 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs
May 2017
LaRue Rice-Spivak Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, 94 points
“The whole cluster character infuses the mid weight core of cherry, raspberry and blueberry fruit flavors. The polished mouthfeel appeals, and the citrus imbued finish is up lifting.” Score: 94
LaRue Emmaline Ann Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, 95 points
“Impressive fortitude on the palate with mid weight flavors of an array of well-ripened cherries and berries. The wine sports gentle tannins and an extremely long finish. Very soothing, offering power in a velvet glove character.” Score: 95
LaRue Thorn Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, 94 points
“Very engaging on the mid palate and finish, with a silk and satin mouthfeel, a deft touch of oak, and up lifting acidity on the WOW finish.” Score: 94
Prince of Pinot Reviews 2015 Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay
April 2017
LaRue Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay 2015, 95 points
“The wine really perks up the senses with flavors of lemon, peach, pear and subtle vanilla… I can just taste the Wente clone in this classy wine that embraces with perfect harmony.” Score: 95
Wine & Spirits Year’s Best US Pinot Noir
April 2017 Issue
LaRue Emmaline Ann Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, 91 points
“This comes from a small vineyard planted on a forested hillside near Sebastopol, and it feels like a coastal wine, with a green edge to its high- toned red fruit that suggests sumac and rhubarb. Maybe because the fruit is so high toned, the oak feels a bit prominent at first, gripping and cedar scented, but the vineyard’s refreshing herb and flower aromas win out in the end.” Reviewed by Luke Sykora.
International Wine Report Releases TOP 100 Wines of 2016
December 2016
LaRue Pinot Noir, Rice-Spivak Vineyard 2013, #28, 95 points
“This 2013 Rice-Spivak Vineyard Pinot Noir from LaRue is simply fantastic. This opens with flat out gorgeous notes of fresh raspberries, wild strawberries, ripe plum, dark soil, exotic spice, mint and fresh spring flowers all come together to form the complex aromatics. On the palate this offers wonderful pure fruit combined with layers of fresh red berries, wild cherry and earth characteristics. This is a simply remarkable Pinot Noir and will continue to flourish over the next 10-15 years.”
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International Wine Report Reviews the 2013 Pinot Noirs
LaRue Pinot Noir, Rice Spivak Vineyard 2013-This opens with flat out gorgeous notes of fresh raspberries, wild strawberries, ripe plum, dark soil, exotic spice, mint and fresh spring flowers all come together to form the complex aromatics.
Score: 95
LaRue Pinot Noir, Emmaline Ann Vineyard 2013-As this gorgeous wine begins to open it releases a beautiful aromatic nose of red berries, smoke, exotic spice, followed by fresh mineral, herb, and dried floral notes. It has remarkable texture with intense berry, earth and fresh mineral flavors through the palate and into the long finish.
Score: 95
LaRue Pinot Noir, Coastlands Vineyard 2013-This absolutely brilliant Pinot Noir comes from the Coastlands Vineyard, situated at 900-1,200 feet… On the palate this is very elegant and polished, coupled with a firm backbone and notable depth as it heads into the long finish. This will continue to evolve and gain complexity over the next decade.
Score: 95
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wine Enthusiast writes, “Way out on the Sonoma Coast”
June 2016
LaRue Wines, named for her great-grandmother who lived to be 97 years old. Open by appointment, it’s a chance to taste her interpretations of key vineyard sites, including a Coastlands Vineyard Pinot Noir and a Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay, which has been owned and farmed by the Heintz family since 1912.
Prince of Pinot Reviews 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs
June 2016
2013 LaRue Rice Spivak Vineyard Pinot Noir
“Intoxicating aromas of sweet cherries, exotic spices and rose petal…Melded tannins, vivacious acidity and long on the finish. Score: 93″
2013 LaRue Coastlands Vineyard Pinot Noir
” Flat-out delicious, with a silky demeanor, tight acidity, cashmere tannins and welcome finishing interest. There is plenty to ponder in this elegantly styled wine that will especially appeal to whole cluster fans. Score: 93″
Hole & Corner Magazine feature “Follow the Vine” on independent CA winemakers
May 2016
Issue 08, The Senses Issue, Spring 2016
“Each one of Wilson’s wines is made differently…Her aim is to let each wine speak for itself, making sure it carries the hallmarks of her style and approach as a winemaker, but allowing the character and nature of each vintage to show itself.”
Something about Sonoma ask’s Katy wilson-“whats the winemaker’s beer?”
February 17, 2016
“There’s an old saying about wine: It takes a lot of good beer to make a great wine. Nowhere is this more true than in Sonoma County, where some of the world’s best wines are produced by winemakers drinking some of the world’s best beers. SomethingAboutSonoma sat down with two of the area’s up-and-coming young winemakers to talk about their beer preferences and some of the differences and similarities in the wine and beer making process.”
Antonio Galloni Reviews the 2013 Pinot Noirs
February 11, 2016
“Katy Wilson’s 2013 Pinots are some of her best wines yet. Over the years, Wilson’s Pinots seem to have become more precise, nuanced and articulated, all qualities that come through loud and clear with these current releases. As always, Wilson’s light touch translates into wines of grace and restraint.”
San Francisco Chronicle Winemaker to Watch: Katy Wilson
February 4, 2013
“Even in a lineup of top California Pinots, Wilson’s wines tend to stand out for their balance of juiciness and tension. They are friendly, but highly structured, wines.”
