The 2019 Thale’s Vineyard Pinot Noir was recently featured in the “Our 100 Most Amazing Sonoma County Wines in 2022” article on The Press Democrat by Linda Murphy.

“Our 100 Most Amazing Sonoma County Wines in 2022”
Pinot Noir
2019 MacRostie Thale’s Vineyard Pinot Noir

“Here’s our annual list of the best local wines this year, chosen by expert Linda Murphy, from sauvignon blanc to pinot noir.

What makes an amazing wine? Sheer quality, of course. Deliciousness. Mouth-pleasing texture. Fascinating aromas and flavors. Refreshing finish. Five hundred wines could have easily made our 100 Amazing Wines based on these parameters alone; Sonoma wines are that good.

So winnowing to 100 required unveiling the layers of the wines under consideration and revealing the stories behind them, the exciting newcomers, the emerging winegrowing regions and grape varieties, and the everything-old-is-new-again ways in which some winemakers impact drinking trends. Which wine lovers don’t enjoy a good story behind the label?

How was our 100 Amazing Wines list was compiled?
As with art and music (crowd-sourcing aside), wine criticism is subjective. One person’s love affair with Van Gogh is another’s infatuation with Gauguin. Beatles or Rolling Stones? Chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon?
Yet objectiveness played into the compiling of this list, with only one in-stone proviso: wines must be grown in Sonoma County and produced by Sonoma County wineries. After that, the field was wide open, with selections coming from Linda Murphy’s tastings at wineries, judging The Press Democrat’s North Coast Wine Challenge and other 2022 competitions, and bottle samples provided to her by wineries.

Approximately 2,000 wines were evaluated in 2022 for the Amazing 100 list, to discover fine wines in all styles, from a diversity of regions and American Viticultural Areas and across all price points.

Retail wine prices have increased in the last year, thanks in part to soaring costs of labor, grapes, glass, corks, labels, and shipping. Some producers ask arguably outlandish prices for their wines, based on high scores from influential critics and a trophy-collecting mentality of some buyers. Yet you’ll find very few of these wines are on this list; there are so many other outstanding Sonoma County wines boasting similar high quality and intrigue that deserve attention here.”

2019 MacRostie Thale’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sold Out)
“Sit on the patio of MacRostie’s tasting room on Westside Road south of Healdsburg, sip wine, and admire the view of the vineyard. It’s relatively new and is named Thale’s for winery founder Steve MacRostie’s wife. As it’s evolved, so has the quality of wines it produces. The 2019 vintage is textbook Russian River Valley Middle Reach, with ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, rounded tannins, and a lingering, juicy finish. No cellaring required; it’s ready to drink now and over the next three years.” -Linda Murphy