Ministry of Vinterior Russian River Pinot Noir 2009
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
In 2009, Elijah Pfister and Chris Nikolopoulos started a little import company called Maritime Wine Trading based in San Francisco. Given their proximity to Napa and Sonoma and their backgrounds in fine wine, the two were immediately inundated with requests by colleagues to make wines of their own from domestic grapes. With their growing network and proximity to great sources, it was simple enough to go into their “backyard” so to speak, and work with some of the best wines, grown and made by the best winemakers and from the top appellations in the world. The two partners got so good at sourcing and blending, they decided to make it a fulltime focus and purchased Nine North Wine Co from their friends based in Napa. Now they produce, market and sell the Nine North portfolio alongside the imported offering from Maritime nationally. Nine North Wine Company represents a varied portfolio of limited production, handcrafted wines from California, Oregon and Washington State. They specialize in offering exceptional quality and value across more than 15 bottlings, with prices that won’t dent your pocketbook.
While the Russian River Valley is a large appellation with multiple climate zones and soil types, it is best known for cool-climate varieties, with Pinot Noir as the most celebrated. The grapes benefit from a reliable late afternoon flow of Pacific Ocean fog through the Petaluma Gap and along the Russian River Valley that ensures slow and steady ripening and the preservation of grape acidity. Today many of California’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir vineyards are in the Russian River Valley, along with its sub-appellation, Green Valley.
Historically Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs had bright red fruit and delicate earthy, mineral notes. But changes in viticultural and winemaking practices have led to stylistic changes in some of the region’s wines. Adjustments to canopy management, among other techniques, have resulted in riper fruit and bolder wines as well. These show flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cola, spice and darker, loamy earth tones, accenting traditional Pinot Noir notes of strawberry, raspberry and light cherry.