by Andrew Chalk
Three Sticks Wines was founded in 2002 by Bill Price, a successful businessman with a passion for wine. With winemaker Ryan Pritchard Three Sticks sets out to achieve excellence.
The winery owns some of the most iconic properties of Sonoma County, including six grand cru level estate vineyards. Three are monopole vineyards which by definition are exclusive to Three Sticks’ wines (Alana, William James and One Sky), and three are heritage vineyards that have an unparalleled history and provenance (Durell, Gap’s Crown and Walala). Each offers a combination of soil and climate that consistently produce the highest quality grapes for some of the finest chardonnay and pinot noir.
On Monarch
2021 Monarch Pinot Noir: The inaugural vintage of this special wine blends the best of the best from Three Sticks’ estate vineyards to create a rich and earthy pinot noir. This thoughtfully selected winemaker blend from all six of Three Sticks’ Sonoma County estate vineyards (Alana, William James, One Sky, Durell, Gap’s Crown and Walala) reflects the winemaker’s interpretation of all that these treasured vineyards offer in one complete wine. Named after the Monarch butterflies that delight the landscape throughout Sonoma and Northern California as they migrate throughout their lives, influences of the diverse Sonoma County terroir and its quintessential sea spray minerality keeps this wine bright and lively.
TASTING NOTES
Appearance: Translucent garnet;
Nose: Cherry fruit, herbal tones, new French oak;
Palate: Effusive open-knit cherry fruit. Soft velvety tannins. Medium acid to maintain interest through the meal. A well-balanced combination that is ready for immediate consumption.
FROM THE WINERY
“The inaugural vintage of this special wine blends the best of the best from Three Sticks’ estate vineyards to create a rich and earthy pinot noir. This thoughtfully selected winemaker blend from all six of Three Sticks’ Sonoma County estate vineyards (Alana, William James, One Sky, Durell, Gap’s Crown and Walala) reflects the winemaker’s interpretation of all that these treasured vineyards offer in one complete wine. Named after the Monarch butterflies that delight the landscape throughout Sonoma and Northern California as they migrate throughout their lives, influences of the diverse Sonoma County terroir and its quintessential sea spray minerality keeps this wine bright and lively.”
Sample.
