2021 was an extraordinary vintage across the Sonoma appellations, yielding wines with depth, power, concentration and excellent acid retention, perfect for long-lived ageing and a distinct sense of place. It is a collector's vintage.

Decanter, August 2024

We've been behind the Freeman wines for the best part of 20 years now, so it's doubly gratifying when a vintage like 2021 comes along. Pretty much perfect conditions across Sonoma resulted in a set of wines that are structured and serious, but also expressive, authentic and a profound pleasure to drink. At this stage, the 2021 Pinots have a tight tannic crunch, but will joyfully unfold in cellars over the years ahead.

2021 was (another) drought year for the region, which saw low yields of concentrated, high-quality fruit. The combination of even daytime temperatures and cool evenings ensured good ripening and significant acid development. The slow run-in to harvest meant Akiko and the team had their choice of picking dates for every plot.

Galloni gives the Freeman 2021s big scores ('the wines are terrific'). He points out how good they were getting 'irrespective of vintage', before they had 2021 to play with. Over the years since the Freemans settled in Sebastopol, their estate vineyards Gloria and Yu-Ki have come of age, and make wines of intense complexity. Akiko's Cuvee is the winemaker's barrel selection, and it increasingly comes from just these two vineyards.

The 2021 Freeman Pinots have just arrived in the UK, and we'd love to share them with you. We've put together a mixed case at very sharp pricing, for delivery or storage; and we'll have the whole range, including the latest Chardonnays, on tasting today in our Copthall Avenue store. /NT