A passion project by one of California's foremost winemakers today. If you like  Shraeder, Outpost, and Maybach, Thomas Rivers Brown is the one to thank. Though he is known for Cabernets, his Burgundy varietals are not to be missed. His focus with Rivers-Marie is precision and nuances that differentiate site-specificity. Thomas and his wife Genevive are looking at Burgundy as a model, picking the grapes a little earlier, using some whole cluster and neutral wood for aging. Given this restrained approach, it is not surprising that the wines age so beautifully.

Occidental Ridge always features the lowest pH and highest amount of fruit tannin each year. Given its structure and acidity, this wine ages very slowly, making it one for the cellar for the first few years of its life in a bottle.

Grape: Pinot Noir, planted in 1998 to three different Dijon clones

Viticulture: Organic