Signs of sea change from Sonoma's coast

Wouldn't the Sonoma Coast, or at least the more marginal western slice of this generally sprawling appellation, suffer even worse than its often warmer neighbors?

Success in blendsIt did not go unnoticed in our tasting that prices in this neighborhood keep getting more ambitious; $45 currently seems like a sweet spot even for many blended bottlings.

Having waited a while to see how 2011 would turn out for this most momentous of California's Pinot areas, I'd say that the year brought just what some of us expected: namely, that schism - not only about the quality of the year, but about what style of wine can best represent the Sonoma Coast, and certainly its western stretches approaching the coast proper.

The success of the vintage's more subtle expressions, and the best wines' ability to showcase their origins in a winning and honest way, give a lot of credibility to those on the less-is-more half of the schism.

2011 Papapietro Perry Campbell Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($56, 13% alcohol): This is the second vintage from Ben Papapietro off this chilly coastal spot near Annapolis, around 750 feet elevation just south of the Mendocino County line.

2011 Hirsch Vineyards Bohan-Dillon Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($34, 13.2%): Hirsch's young-drinking bottling, made by Ross Cobb (Cobb Wines), was a great snapshot of the far coast in this vintage - a mix of Hirsch fruit with neighboring parcels from Hellenthal, MacDougall and Nobles.

2011 Failla Occidental Ridge Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($60, 13.5%): Ehren Jordan's label taps this exposed site just above the town of Occidental for a slightly brooding, dark-fruited expression - one marked more by a firm mineral side and plum fruit, and a great means of extracting a full spectrum of flavor even with the cold year.

2011 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($45, 13.2%): Flowers has tightened its focus on its estate plantings, but winemaker Jason Jardine still devised a blend, partially from the Sea View Ridge estate, that's a great signature of the coast.

Subtle toasted sage, bayberry and celery seed, with a slight bitter edge and plenty of rich but refreshing fruit.

More polish than profundity, but tree bark and nutmeg accents will provide a lot of near-term enjoyment and a deft display of experience in a tough year.

2011 Waxwing Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($33, 12.1%): Scott Sisemore tapped into the precipitous ripening potential found west of Petaluma, in the area's wind gap, for this effort from the Spring Hill Vineyard.

A slight use of whole clusters comes through in a spicy aspect of black peppercorn and sage that's matched by plush, straightforward fruit flavors.