Sonoma et Mendocino : pinot de brouillard, zinfandel de soleil
26 bouteilles, du pinot de brouillard au zinfandel de vieilles vignesA Pinot Noir kept taut by the Pacific fog, a Chardonnay aged the Burgundian way, a peppery, generous old-vine Zinfandel: the North Coast offers all three within a radius of a few dozen kilometres. Every morning, the fog climbs the valleys from the ocean and keeps the grapes cool, then the afternoon sun ripens them.
Here you will find Sonoma's great signatures, Kistler, Occidental, Patz & Hall, Twomey, Seghesio, and the wilder valleys of Mendocino and Anderson Valley, with Cabernets at gentle prices.
Elizabeth Spencer - Chardonnay 2022
A precise and balanced Californian Chardonnay, where coastal freshness meets elegant woody indulgence.
On the way - Pinot Noir Les Pommiers 2019
A magnificent Pinot Noir with a rich and silky texture
From coastal fog to warm valleys
On the North Coast, distance from the ocean decides the style. Valleys open to the Pacific receive the morning fog and produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; those sheltered behind the hills get warmer and suit Zinfandel and Cabernet.
| Sous-zone | Climat | Cépage phare | À la carte |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russian River Valley le long de la rivière, au sud de Healdsburg | Brouillard du soir jusqu'en fin de matinée, nuits fraîches | Pinot noir, chardonnay | Twomey Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2020, 95 €aussi Kistler Russian River Pinot Noir 2022 |
| Sonoma Coast crêtes face à l'océan, autour de Freestone | Crêtes au-dessus de la mer de nuages, vent froid : le secteur le plus frais | Pinot noir, chardonnay | Occidental Freestone Pinot Noir 2023, 110 €aussi Kistler et Patz & Hall |
| Alexander Valley au nord de Healdsburg, vers Geyserville | Vallée large et chaude, brouillard bref ; graviers et alluvions | Cabernet sauvignon | Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, 155 €magnum à 339 € ; aussi Coppola Director's Cut, 43,80 € par caisse de 6 |
| Dry Creek Valley vallée étroite à l'ouest de Healdsburg | Matinées fraîches, après-midi chauds, graviers : un zinfandel mûr et poivré | Zinfandel, sauvignon blanc | Coppola Director's Cut Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2021, 41,80 €la bouteille, par caisse de 6 ; aussi Seghesio, maison de Healdsburg |
| Chalk Hill enclave à l'est de la Russian River | A warmer pocket, above the fog, on white volcanic ash that gave the hill its name | Chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon | Vérité home of Bordeaux-style blends, including La Joie |
| Anderson Valley vallée de la Navarro, entre Boonville et Philo | A corridor open to the Pacific, among the coolest in California | Pinot noir, effervescents | Goldeneye Pinot Noir 2019, 73 €aussi Twomey Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2020, 95 € |
| Mendocino l'intérieur du comté, autour d'Ukiah | Hot and dry behind the coastal hills, a pioneer of Californian organic winegrowing | Cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay | Elizabeth Spencer Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino 2022, 37,90 €la bouteille, par lot de 3 |
Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast partly overlap: the same plot can carry both names. For a livelier Pinot, aim for the Sonoma Coast ridges; for more flesh, the Russian River.
Le même cépage, deux vallées voisines
Sonoma and Napa border each other, separated by the Mayacamas Mountains. Sonoma, closer to the ocean, plays on freshness; Napa, warmer and more sheltered, plays on power. Here is what that changes in the glass, grape by grape.
| Cépage | Style ici, et face à Napa | Vin exemple | Prix à la bouteille |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinot noirle cépage roi de la côte | Cerise, framboise, épices, acidité nette ; Napa le réserve à la fraîcheur de Carneros, à son extrémité sud | Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2017assemblage de 16 petits vignobles familiaux, levures indigènes | 71 € |
| Chardonnayfermenté en barrique | Tension, fruits blancs, noisette, élevage sur lies à la bourguignonne ; à Napa, plus mûr et plus ample | Kistler Les Noisetiers Chardonnay 2022lively nose, vanilla palate, in the spirit of a Meursault | 116 € |
| Zinfandelthe legacy of the Italian families | Mûre, poivre noir, degré généreux, vieilles vignes ; Napa l'a largement remplacé par le cabernet | Coppola Director's Cut Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2021aussi Decoy Zinfandel 2019, 43 € | 41,80 €, par caisse de 6 |
| Cabernet sauvignonAlexander Valley en tête | Tanins plus souples, fruit noir plus rond, prix plus doux ; Napa donne davantage de densité et de garde | Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valleythe same house also makes a Napa Cabernet, ideal for comparison | 155 € |
| Sauvignon blancvinified for freshness | Citrus, cut grass, vinified mostly in tank; Napa more readily puts it in barrel, in the spirit of Fumé Blanc | Elizabeth Spencer Sauvignon Blanc 2024grapes from the North Coast, cool areas swept by sea breezes | 29 €, par caisse de 6 |
To explore Napa further, our Napa Valley page details its Cabernets, district by district.
A bottle for every mood
Partez de l'occasion ou du plat, la bonne vallée suit.
Découvrir le pinot de la côte nord
A fine, silky Mendocino Pinot Noir marked by the freshness of the fog: the ideal gateway to Sonoma's great Pinots.
Elizabeth Spencer Pinot Noir 2022 · 53 € la bouteille, par lot de 2For duck breast or grilled salmon
A precise Pinot from the Anderson Valley, from several vineyards each planted with a clone chosen for its plot.
Goldeneye Pinot Noir 2019 · 73 € la bouteilleFor a barbecue with friends
Blackberry, plum and black pepper: a generous Sonoma County Zinfandel, made for grilled meats and smoky sauces.
Decoy Zinfandel 2019 · 43 € la bouteilleA Chardonnay for roast poultry
Pomme verte, poire et citron, puis vanille et chêne toasté : un chardonnay rond, à ouvrir sur un poulet rôti ou une blanquette.
Francis Ford Coppola Director's Cut Chardonnay 2021 · 34,80 € la bouteille, par caisse de 6A great white for a festive table
The signature of Kistler, an estate founded in 1978: a broad, lively Chardonnay to serve with lobster, turbot or Bresse chicken.
Kistler Les Noisetiers Chardonnay 2022 · €116 a bottleUne bouteille d'exception à offrir
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cabernet, given long ageing and designed for the cellar, also comes in magnum for special occasions.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley · 155 € la bouteille, 339 € le magnumComparer deux vallées à pinot
Twomey makes one Pinot from Anderson Valley and another from Russian River Valley: open both side by side to taste the effect of terroir.
Twomey Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2020 · 95 € la bouteilleExplorer tout le zinfandel
California's emblematic grape, from Sonoma to the other counties, with its old vines and its styles, from the most generous to the spiciest.
Le rayon zinfandel
Le brouillard, clé de lecture de la côte nord
Sonoma long lived in Napa's shadow. Italian families were planting Zinfandel there from the late 19th century, and the Seghesio family has worked there since 1895. The turning point came in the 1970s, when winegrowers such as Steve Kistler realised that the coastal cool suited Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Today, the rule is simple: the more fog a valley receives, the livelier and more fragrant the wine; the more sheltered it is, the riper and sunnier. Mendocino and Anderson Valley extend this contrast further north, on wilder land and often at gentler prices.
Comment on choisit
The team selects and tastes every bottle before offering it. On the North Coast, we look for freshness first: a Pinot that keeps its acidity, a Chardonnay where the oak stays behind the fruit, a Zinfandel whose alcohol is carried by pepper and blackberry. We also keep bottles from Mendocino so you can discover the region at a modest price.
L'équipe du Baroudeur du Vin
Ce qu'on nous demande sur Sonoma et Mendocino
Quelle différence entre un vin de Sonoma et un vin de Napa ?
The two counties border each other, separated by the Mayacamas Mountains. Sonoma, larger and closer to the Pacific, gets more fog: its Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays keep a lively acidity. Napa, warmer and sheltered, has specialised in powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. To compare, also browse our Napa Valley page.
Pourquoi le pinot noir réussit-il si bien à Sonoma ?
Pinot Noir loves long, cool seasons. In the Russian River Valley and on the Sonoma Coast, fog from the ocean covers the vines until late morning, then the afternoon sun ripens them. The grapes thus keep their acidity and their cherry aromas. Our Pinot Noir section lets you compare it with Burgundy.
Où se trouvent Mendocino et Anderson Valley ?
Mendocino County extends Sonoma to the north. Its interior, around Ukiah, is hot and dry: Cabernet, Zinfandel and Chardonnay are grown there, often organically. Anderson Valley, further west, follows the Navarro River to the ocean: it is one of the coolest valleys in California, Pinot Noir country, like the Goldeneye Pinot Noir 2019.
What food should you serve with a Sonoma Zinfandel?
Zinfandel is generous, fruity and peppery: it calls for grilled meats, glazed pork ribs, chilli con carne or a burger. Old vines, more concentrated, also go with spiced lamb. Serve it at around 16 °C. The Decoy Zinfandel 2019, at €43 a bottle, is a good place to start.
Pourquoi certains vins se vendent-ils par lot ou par caisse ?
Some producers ship their wines by the case, so we offer them in packs of 2 or 3, or in cases of 6. The price shown is always for one bottle: Elizabeth Spencer's Sauvignon Blanc 2024 costs €29 a bottle, in a case of 6. For any question about a format, contact an adviser.
Quel vin de Sonoma ou de Mendocino choisir à moins de 50 € ?
Under that threshold: the Decoy Zinfandel 2019 at €43, Coppola's Director's Cut Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2021 at €41.80 a bottle in a case of 6, Elizabeth Spencer's Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino 2022 at €37.90 a bottle in a pack of 3, or Seghesio's Sonoma Chardonnay 2022 at €34.80 in a case of 6. Find them with the €50 filter.
Combien de temps garder un grand pinot ou un cabernet de Sonoma ?
Un pinot noir de la Sonoma Coast ou de Russian River se goûte bien dès trois ou quatre ans et progresse jusqu'à dix ans. Un chardonnay comme celui de Kistler tient huit à dix ans en cave fraîche. Le cabernet d'Alexander Valley de Silver Oak, plus structuré, supporte quinze ans et davantage, surtout en magnum.
Quel lien entre Kistler et Occidental ?
Steve Kistler founded Kistler in 1978 with Mark Bixler, and made his name with his Sonoma Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. He then created Occidental, devoted solely to Pinot Noir from the ridges of the Sonoma Coast, near Sebastopol. The Occidental Freestone Pinot Noir 2023 costs €110 a bottle.
À quelle température servir un pinot noir de la côte nord ?
Serve it lightly chilled, at 14–16 °C: the coolness highlights its fruit and acidity. There is no need to decant a young Pinot; simply open the bottle half an hour before the meal. Choose a large, Burgundy-style glass, which concentrates the aromas of cherry, spice and forest floor.