93-Points by Wine Enthusiast & Vinous.
Packed with black cherry flavor accented by clove, pine and forest floor nuances, this complex and concentrated wine is a beauty. The mouthfeel is broad and velvety, and the finish lingers nicely.
 
Freeman’s Yu-ki 2015 marked our second vintage of Yu-ki Estate Pinot Noir. Ken and Akiko bought the land that would include the Yu-ki Estate in 2007, and planted their favorite heritage and Dijon Pinot Noir clones. The cool, wind-swept vineyard rises above the town of Occidental, 1,000 feet in elevation and only five miles from the Pacific Ocean. It is named for Akiko’s nephew, Yu-ki, who lives in Japan. The word Yu-ki can also be translated from Japanese to mean “courage,” or “big tree”—appropriate descriptors for a site surrounded by majestic, old growth redwood trees, of which the Freemans have donated 22 pristine acres to the Bodega Land Trust.The first five out of eight blocks planted at Yu-ki make up the 2015 Yu-ki Estate Pinot Noir. There are three Dijon clones—114, 667 and 828—as well as two Swiss Pinot Noir clones, Mariafeld (also called Clone 23), and Wadenswil, or Clone 2A. In the coming years we will see another block of 828 come online as well as two heritage clones, Mt. Eden and Calera.
Jim Pratt’s vineyard on Sexton Road made up 35% of the blend with Dijon  clone 777 and Swiss clone 2A, also known as Wadenswil. The KR Ranch,  formerly known as Keefer, made up 18% of the Russian River blend in 2021  with the Swiss clone 23—also known as Mariafeld—and additional Dijon  777. Freeman has been using Pratt fruit since 2005 and KR since 2004.
 
   Historic Award for Akiko Freeman: The Green & White Medal for Agricultural Excellence
Akiko Freeman was recently honored with the Green & White Medal for Agricultural Excellence, becoming the first woman ever to receive this prestigious accolade. The ceremony, held at the Japanese Consul General’s residence in Los Angeles, recognized her for being the first Japanese winemaker with a wine served at the White House and her transformative approach to organic farming. Shinkichki Koyama, who presented the award, said of Akiko, “She worked very hard to achieve the best growing conditions on the property — irrigation, ensuring that the soil was well-drained and well-oxygenated — all with the long-term vision to produce better grapes under organic farming protocols.”