ads-linkedin Ceritas Sonoma Coast 'Hellenthal Old Shop Block' Pinot Noir 2023 – United Cellars

Your Cellar

Shape
5 Star Rated on Trustpilot

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections.

Ceritas Sonoma Coast 'Hellenthal Old Shop Block' Pinot Noir 2023

  • Jeb Dunnuck
    98 Points
Ceritas Sonoma Coast 'Hellenthal Old Shop Block' Pinot Noir 2023
  • Jeb Dunnuck
    98 Points
Ceritas Sonoma Coast 'Hellenthal Old Shop Block' Pinot Noir 2023
Write a Review

Ceritas Sonoma Coast 'Hellenthal Old Shop Block' Pinot Noir 2023

SKU: CHOP202310 UCAU
15 Plus Years
Regular price $299.99 / bottle
Unit price
per 
Only 2 left In-Stock!

Ships by same day or next business day

1 bottle
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

Ceritas wines stand out for their rare combination of precision, purity, and a deep respect for terroir.

We often hear about California Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays being “Burgundian.” But how often are they really? For our money, no one in northern California comes closer to the Burgundian ideal than John Raytek does.

They have twelve sites that they source from today in Sonoma and Santa Cruz

Write a Review

Ceritas Sonoma Coast 'Hellenthal Old Shop Block' Pinot Noir 2023

  • BUY

Tasting Notes

Ceritas Sonoma Coast 'Hellenthal Old Shop Block' Pinot Noir 2023 exemplifies the pinnacle of California winemaking with its delicate balance of precision, purity, and an authentic expression of terroir. Crafted by John Raytek, a winemaker renowned for his Burgundian approach, this Pinot Noir reflects the unique character of the Sonoma Coast, a region celebrated for its cool climate and fog-influenced vineyards that promote slow, even ripening and intense aromatic complexity.

This 2023 vintage captures the essence of the Hellenthal Old Shop Block vineyard, showcasing vibrant red cherry, raspberry, and subtle earth notes layered with whispers of spice and floral elegance. The wine’s silky tannins and bright acidity provide structure and finesse, making it a refined expression of Pinot Noir that resonates with the classic Burgundian style rarely matched in Northern California.

Ceritas wines are distinctive for their commitment to site-specific sourcing, drawing grapes from twelve exceptional vineyards across Sonoma and Santa Cruz. This meticulous vineyard selection and sustainable farming philosophy ensure that each bottle is a true reflection of place, honoring the complexity and individuality of the terroir.

The Sonoma Coast is recognized for its cool maritime influence, which contributes to the vibrant acidity and nuanced aromatics found in this wine. The 2023 vintage benefited from favorable weather conditions that enhanced the varietal purity and depth, resulting in a wine of exceptional clarity and balance.

Experience a Pinot Noir that transcends California norms, marrying Burgundian finesse with New World vibrancy. The Ceritas Sonoma Coast 'Hellenthal Old Shop Block' Pinot Noir 2023 is a sophisticated choice for collectors and enthusiasts seeking a rare combination of elegance, complexity, and respect for terroir in every sip.

Critic Scores

A youthful red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Hellenthal Old Shop Block is a more enveloping wine, with more notes of mossy earth and ripe black raspberries. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied but rounded and supple, with a silky texture and an enveloping feel. Tasted as a barrel sample, it’s more primary at this stage, but I sensed an underlying savouriness.

Vinification & Cultivation

Crafted only for our premium wines

Vineyard Cultivation

Ceritas, founded by John Raytek and Phoebe Bass, works with cool-climate Sonoma and Santa Cruz Mountains sites in pursuit of a Burgundian sense of detail and freshness. The Hellenthal Old Shop Block comes from the Hellenthal Vineyard on the far Sonoma Coast, a windswept, fog-influenced ridge above the Pacific whose marine sediments and cool conditions yield small-berried Pinot Noir with savoury, earthy depth. Old-block plantings and low yields underpin the wine's concentration. The 2023 season on the Sonoma Coast was cool and extended, with slow ripening that preserved acidity and layered aromatics, giving the mossy earth, ripe black-raspberry and underlying savouriness noted in the young wine.

Vinification

Consistent with Ceritas's minimal-intervention approach, the Pinot Noir was fermented with native yeasts, generally with a share of whole clusters to build aromatic lift and structure, and gently worked to retain a silky texture. It was pressed to French oak and matured largely in neutral barrels, with restrained new-wood use, so the site's earthy, black-raspberry and savoury character stays to the fore. Élevage in barrel precedes bottling with minimal handling. Reviewed as a barrel sample, it shows a rounded, supple, medium-bodied frame. Exact whole-cluster percentage, new-oak proportion and ageing time for the 2023 are not published and would need confirmation.

0