Winemaker Notes
A wine that exemplifies the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir style with black cherry, pomegranate, rhubarb and cranberry notes with hints of leather. Flavors of black tea and cinnamon add complexity through the palate, where a dense, velvety texture is balanced nicely with crisp fruit-driven freshness.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
A bigger, richer wine, the 2018 Pinot Noir Reserve also comes from the Russian River Valley and boasts a terrific nose of darker berry fruits, scorched earth, forest floor, and sappy herbs. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it too has a beautiful spine of acidity, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It can be enjoyed now, but I think a year of bottle age is warranted, and it should evolve for 5-7 years as well. This is another beautiful wine from this team that’s well worth your time and money.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From vineyards on Starr Road, Windsor Ridge and Olivet Lane in the Russian River Valley planted to 777, 667 and Pommard clone, the 2018 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Reserve was made with 15% to 20% whole cluster and aged 11 months in 50% new Francois Freres and Taransaud barrels. Already bottled, it has a medium to deep ruby-purple color and comes charging out of the glass with bold black cherries, red plums, warm cranberries and raspberry pie scents plus wafts of lavender, tilled soil, bouquet garni and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long.
-
James Suckling
Dried cherries and ripe strawberries with some smoky and light vanilla undertones. It’s full-bodied with round, ripe tannins and a creamy-textured finish. Lovely now, but has the richness and structure to age. Drink or hold.
Over thirty years in the making, Amici Cellars is a blend of the old and the new. Preserving its legacy and producing wines of exceptional character is the unwavering commitment of proprietors John Harris and Bob Shepard, who attribute success in large part to the age-old adage “nothing replaces hard work,” but also their intuition and ability to capture the most significant opportunity in a decisive moment.
The turning point was 2009, when after more than 15 years of making wine as a passion project with modest distribution, the two friends fully committed to taking their adventure and turning it into a prestigious Napa Valley winemaking estate. The United States was facing the biggest economic downturn since the 1930s, costly Cabernets no longer flying off shelves, but John and Bob have always trusted in their intuition and a core belief - bottle beautiful, high quality wines that are accessible to enjoy every day and for age-worthy collections.
They have decidedly chosen a talented team, seasoned winemaker Tony Biagi, a Napa Valley veteran with more than 25-years-experience, and associate winemaker Dante West, a rising star whose energy matches his true-to-varietal wines. Together they bring decades of relationships with outstanding growers in the field that, combined with their craftsmanship, creates the best possible capsule of each vineyard site, a combination of the soil, climate and people who farm it.
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.