In my last installment of Sonoma Coast wines I have to write about one of the best, Peay Vineyards. I always get excited when a customer orders a bottle of Peay. I hope they know what they are drinking. These wines are made extremely well. I have had their Chardonnay, Pinot, and my favorite Syrah on numerous occasions. Each one is special. As I’ve noted in my previous post, The Coast, this rugged area isn’t for just an everyday wine maker. The weather and terrain is difficult and not a lot of wine comes out from Peay. Their prices can reflect this, but this is one producer that is definitely worth the money.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Andy Peay at their winery in Cloverdale, California. He is a genuinely good dude that loves what he does. We tasted a some of his not fully fermented wines and some of the finished wines. All of their wines have a nose that you just can’t resist. You almost forget to even taste the wine the nose is so incredible. They have layers of fruit and complexity with a certain freshness about them. The finesse and balance Peay achieves in their wines can almost make you feel like you’re drinking Burgundy.
If you’re still not convinced that Peay is the way and/or want something a little more economical, Peay make a second label called Cep. This is essentially declassified Peay fruit. It has all the goodness that Peay puts into their wine and drinks better than a large amount of Sonoma Coast wines. I am not a big fan of carrying multiple wines from the same producer but I do have my exceptions and Peay is definitely one of them. Here is what we carry at Wine Dive: 2007 Peay Chardonnay $90 2009 Peay ‘Scallop Shelf’ Pinot Noir $90 2007 Peay ‘La Bruma’ Syrah $80 2009 Cep Syrah $50
