Renowned Winemaker Behind Famous Brands Launches His Signature Pinot Noir Line

Coastlands Vineyard

She embodied resilience, independence, and a subtle grace, illuminated by the sunlight that played in her hair while she worked the Earth to plant 18 varieties of a less common Pinot Noir grape. Unlike the robust and popular Cabernet Sauvignon, these grapes produced a softer, more delicate wine, aligning perfectly with her inclination to explore less trodden paths. Her adventurous spirit was evident in her past: she crafted surfboards for Hobie during the 1950s, piloted aircrafts to locate swordfish, and spent 25 years as the art director of Practical Vineyard and Winery magazine. Eventually, she and her husband decided to carve their own niche in their Sonoma Coast property in California, a mere three miles from the Pacific Ocean.

In 1989, she embarked on a new venture by planting a vineyard of Pinot Noir with her marine biologist husband, well before the variety became popular among connoisseurs seeking refined and aromatic red wines. They discovered an idyllic setting for their vineyard among Bay Laurel trees with an ancient oak nearby, its trunk marked with “1906” — believed to commemorate the great San Francisco earthquake of that year.

During this period, their son Ross, a college student, assisted in the vineyard to earn extra money. While pursuing a career as a professional musician and touring with his band, he studied agroecology at the University of Santa Cruz, focusing on soil science. Despite helping out, he initially had no plans to become a winemaker or inherit the vineyard, seeing its small-scale operation focused on an acre and a half of specifically chosen, ungrafted Pinot Noir clones as just a passionate endeavor of his parents.

A few of Ross Cobb’s records

Ross faced a pivotal moment in life, choosing to dive deep into not only vineyard cultivation but winemaking as well. His career journey led him through various esteemed wine producers in Sonoma, dabbling in operations of differing scales and experimenting with a myriad of styles and grape types. His passion finally honed in on crafting small-batch, locality-specific Pinot Noir under his own brand, Cobb Wines.

Ross’s music collection is as intricate as his wine preferences, boasting over 8,000 vinyl records, though he’s lost track of the exact count. His collection is randomly organized, essential for sparking surprise with each selection played. The assortment not only maps the evolution of his musical taste but also includes albums acquired from others needing to offload their collections—highlighting Ross’s belief that there’s always something valuable to discover if one remains open to the experience.

Similarly, Ross’s approach to wine has been shaped by a broad spectrum of experiences. He began his winemaking journey at Ferrari-Carano in 1994, where he established their inaugural soil laboratory, an unparalleled experience for young Ross in large-scale premium winemaking. His quest for diverse experiences took him to work with Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, a smaller venture two hours south of Sonoma. There, Randall was an innovator with Rhône varietals and unique vinification techniques in California. Working in these contrasting vineyards, Ross accumulated a wealth of knowledge and insight, benefiting from the vast differences in scale and methodology.

He started his journey in the wine industry by working with proficient Pinot Noir producers across the Sonoma Coast, beginning at Williams Selyem as a viticulturist and enologist. His career progressed as he became the associate winemaker at Flowers Winery under the guidance of the esteemed Hugh Chappelle before advancing to head winemaker. His relationship with David Hirsch led him to play a pivotal role in establishing Hirsch Vineyards’ own label, where he served as head winemaker until the position was handed over to his daughter Jasmine Hirsch.

Budbreak at Doc’s Vineyard, which is adjacent to Cobbs’ Coastland Vineyard.

While Ross carved his path in the winemaking scene, his parents began supplying a distinct block of Pinot Noir grapes to Burt Williams, a co-founder of Williams Selyem, initially planted in 1989. When Burt visited to sample various Pinot Noir clones at their small vineyard along with Ross’s parents, a clone named Jackson 16, thought to have originated in California in the late 1800s, was preferred for its exceptional quality, leading the Cobbs to expand their vineyard with more Jackson 16 plantings. They extended their vineyard by another 12 and a half acres down their hillside, reaching a total of 14 acres, thereby becoming key suppliers for top-tier Sonoma Pinot Noir vintners.

Impressively, the original vines set in 1989, which are still on their original roots, have remained unirrigated for about 25 years.

Burgundy vineyards

Ross still loves a wide variety of music and is pulled towards whatever moves him but when it comes to wine, he has become quite laser-focused. For years, while working his day job at another winery, he made minuscule batches of wine from his family’s property. Once he could give up his day job to focus on making his own wines under his family name, he finally could go deep into truly knowing the multitude of facets of each tiny plot of their vineyards. Along the way, he became quite enamored with the sense of place that top, small Burgundy wine producers could express in their wines. So, no matter how tight money was, he would jump on a plane with a backpack and visit producers, bringing a wide array of great California Pinot Noir wines. He was welcomed to many a wine producer’s home and they were fascinated to learn from him but he felt he was lucky to take in everything they had shared from centuries of generational knowledge.

He returned to Burgundy 14 times, even when other wine producers were telling him to go somewhere else, he just became enraptured with the Burgundian wines and the ability to capture the essence of a tiny section of a vineyard. He wanted to achieve that high degree of expression of place from his family vineyards, knowing that Pinot Noir was the ideal vessel as it has an affinity for terroir expression, and eventually expanded that mission by sourcing from other vineyard sites.

Coastlands Vineyard

Ross operates the Coastlands Vineyard, famously known for a unique bottling from his mother’s initial vineyard plots. His experimentation with the beloved Pinot Noir clone, Jackson 16, has received praise not only from his parents and the esteemed Burt Williams but also hints at resistance against the destructive phylloxera pest. This pest famously ravaged European vineyards over a century ago and poses a risk to any vineyard cultivating European grape varieties like Pinot Noir. The Cobbs’ initial decision to plant Pinot Noir on its native roots is particularly distinctive due to the typical necessity of grafting these vines onto American rootstocks to avoid phylloxera.

Ross emphasizes the rigorous measures they implement to protect their vineyard from phylloxera, assisted by its isolated location with minimal nearby vineyards. The potential phylloxera resistance of the Jackson 16 clone offers a prospect of planting all his vineyards with vines on their own roots, a project he hopes his daughter might embrace as she grows, potentially leading to one of the century’s significant viticultural breakthroughs.

Reflecting on his youth, Ross recalls the profound moments of witnessing his mother’s bold spirit as she planted vines with his father. At that time, as a college student unsure of his future path, he didn’t fully appreciate those moments. Over time, the significance of these memories has crystallized, overshadowing the overwhelming uncertainties of young adulthood. Opting against a more predictable career path, Ross chose to deepen his understanding and expertise in crafting exceptional Pinot Noir wines at his family’s vineyard, aspiring to achieve the heights of those legendary Burgundy wines that inspired him.

Unfortunately, Ross’s mother, Diane Cobb, passed away during the height of harvest in 2006. So Ross and his father decided to make that special bottling from the original block of her own-rooted vines that she had meticulously selected and planted and named it after her.

Sometimes, when the sun is shining with a warm, golden glow over the Pacific Ocean, which is not far from his mother’s plot of vines, he thinks about his mother being one of the bravest people he has ever known and will ever know. Even though he was an overwhelmed young man when she was planting the vineyard, her courageous spirit imprinted on him, leading him away from the fear of taking those leaps and bringing him towards taking big chances in life. The biggest chance he took was to stop selling his mother’s special block of grapes to another winery, a highly valuable plot that brought in a steady income. Instead, he started making wine from his mother’s precious Pinot Noir plot himself and named it after her, to honor her for being a great example who had shaped his life away from fear so he could embrace daring challenges.

Lineup of 2021 Cobb Pinot Noir wines

2021 Cobb, Coastlands Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California: 100% Pinot Noir. Tantalizing flavors of mulberry coulis and a dusting of cinnamon with raspberry cobbler intertwined with complex notes of broken earth with an overall vibrant quality.

2021 Cobb, “Diane Cobb,” Coastlands Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California: 100% Pinot Noir. The aromas are simply scintillating on this beauty with an intense minerality and oyster shell notes fleshed out by deep red fruit flavors of cherry sauce balanced by higher-tone notes of cranberries with a long, expressive finish.

2021 Cobb, Doc’s Ranch Vineyard “Joann’s Block” Chardonnay

2021 Cobb, Doc’s Ranch Vineyard “Joann’s Block,” Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California: 100% Chardonnay. A dazzling nose of golden apples, lemon curd and hint of hazelnut with crisp acidity highlighted by notes of stony minerality with a nimble body with a hint of richness. Doc’s Ranch Vineyard is a neighbor and friend of Ross Cobb and this Chardonnay vineyard is named after the matriarch of the family, Joann, who loved Chardonnay wine. She was able to taste the first vintage of this Chardonnay shortly before she passed away.

2021 Cobb, Doc’s Ranch Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California: 100% Pinot Noir. Exuberant nose with baking spices, black raspberry scones and candied violets with a hint of a more grounding note of tree bark and a touch of fleshy fruit on the palate with an overall sprightly quality.

2021 Cobb, Doc’s Ranch Vineyard – Swan & Calera Selection, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California: 100% Pinot Noir. This wine opens with charming aromas of lavender, fresh sage, and rose oil, crafting a profile that blends beautifully with the pristine red fruits. The palate is delicately structured, showcasing an impressive display of finesse.

2021 Cobb, Wendling Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, California: 100% Pinot Noir. Featuring a captivating, dark nose filled with complex layers of black and blue fruits complemented by wild herbs and a hint of sweet tobacco leaf. The body is robust, matched with crisp acidity. The vineyard is managed by Paul Ardzrooni, a fourth-generation grower who also oversees the vineyard management for all vineyards from which Ross Cobb sources his fruit.

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About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!