96 pts Vinous
Review Date: 01/2024
The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate Pomarium is fabulous. Broad, ample and resonant, the Pomarium shows the more extroverted side of the year. Black fruit, mocha, chocolate, incense, leather and dark spice soar out of the glass. This potent, brooding Pinot Noir packs a tremendous punch. It's the most extroverted Pinot in the Peay range and is absolutely fantastic in this tasting. (AG)

Apple Orchard

Pomarium is Latin for apple orchard. Our vineyard was once planted to acres of apple trees; some for eating, some for drying, some for making cider. We have an old kiln onsite where the original homesteaders would dry the apples and ship them from the port at Stewart’s Point to San Francisco. Many of the remaining 100 year-old trees still produce delicious fruit. They encircle blocks 1, 14 and 15.

We thought Pomarium was a euphonious name that evoked our land’s farming heritage. Of course, we had no idea if it was pronounced Poe-mar-e-um or Poe-mare-e-um. We also had never heard of the puffy toy dog favored by Queen Victoria, the Pomeranian. Turns out this is the 15th most popular breed of dog and based on my research traveling the country pouring this wine, more people have heard of Pomeranians than took Latin in high school. As if our last name were not difficult enough to pronounce correctly (and awkward, if not), we have added a second befuddling name to really confuse matters. You’re welcome.

But what does Pomarium taste like? Pomarium is the more broad-shouldered, savory and dark-fruited cuvée with a floral whiff of San Francisco hippie. The fruit flavors lean to berry and plum skin notes. The presence on the palate is larger framed than our other Pinot noirs, though not necessarily due to riper blocks in the blend but to silky tannins that ballast black fruit and earth- driven flavors. The distinctly earthy characteristics are somewhat akin to stepping on dried pine needles in a conifer forest mid-summer; or, smelling the scent of sagebrush and incense on Jim Morrison while he’s waxing poetic under the stars. The mouth, oftentimes, has hints of licorice, lead, black tea, and serrano ham. After making fifteen vintages of Pomarium, we have a pretty good idea of what clones and blocks will comprise the core of the blend. With tinkering due to vintage expression and block development, Pomarium usually includes Dijon clones 667, all three of the Calera heritage selections, and often 777 and 115 (and, oddly enough, not our Pommard selection).