Easkoot Cellars 'Foggy Bottom' Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California 2022

Easkoot 'Foggy Bottom' Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California 2022
Foggy Bottom is the sister label to Easkoot Cellars—both guided by the same winemaker and rooted in a shared philosophy: to craft expressive, cool-climate wines with clarity and poise. While Easkoot focuses on cellar-worthy, contemplative bottlings, Foggy Bottom brings a more playful approach—Pinot Noir made for everyday enjoyment, with the same integrity and balance, drawn from coastal vineyard sites.

• WINEMAKER: Mike Duffy

• FARMING: Sustainable

• VARIETY: Pinot Noir (Clones 115, 777, 2A, and 667)

• TERROIR: Sourced from Russian River Valley vineyards planted on clay and loam soils. The region’s fog-laden mornings and marine-cooled climate allow for slow, even ripening and a naturally restrained alcohol profile.

• VINIFICATION: Traditional fermentation with a mix of Pinot Noir clones to capture nuance and vibrancy.

• TASTING NOTES: Offers aromas of forest floor, baking spice, and black cherry. The palate leans juicy and vibrant, with soft tannins, dark berry fruit, and a gentle earthiness.

• FOOD PAIRINGS: Roast chicken, mushroom risotto, cedar-planked salmon, or soft cheeses

From our 2025 Bottle Cult Notes:

Who doesn’t love a good maritime origin story? Easkoot Cellars is named after Captain Alfred Derby Easkoot—a 19th-century sailor turned land surveyor who helped shape what we now know as Stinson Beach. After years at sea (he left Massachusetts at age nine to live aboard a ship!), he eventually settled along the California coast and surveyed much of the land we now know as coastal Marin. The very land he once mapped now grows the fruit behind the wine in your glass. It’s a poetic kind of full-circle—a wine born from the soil he first staked out.

Foggy Bottom is the sister label to Easkoot’s more cellar-worthy lineup. Made by the same winemaker, Mike Duffy, it’s crafted with the same thoughtful approach but designed for everyday drinking. This wine is a thinker and a drinker, very food-savvy, and a little more playful and ready to hang than the “older sister” Easkoot. 

The 2022 bottling comes from fog-kissed vineyards in the Russian River Valley, where cool coastal breezes and clay-rich soils keep the wine bright and expressive. In the glass, it’s berry bramble, black tea, with a touch of earth and cacao. There’s a quiet savory note beneath the lush fruit and a chill coastal acidity that gives everything lift and balance. It’s fresh, soft around the edges, and wildly easy to enjoy.

Serve it with a BLT, jerk chicken, mushroom dishes (if you’re not allergic like I am), or just sip it solo while you catch the sunset. Laid-back, well-made, and ready when you are—all you need is good food, good company, and a little room to breathe. 

—Kaylee Daly, DECANT Napa Lead Sommelier