Winemaker Notes
Deep ruby in color. Vibrant raspberry, Santa Rosa plum and baking spice aromas bound from the glass. A juicy mouthfeel is supported by Bing cherry and pomegranate, developing across the mid-palate to fine grain tannins on the finish. An intriguing blend of power and restraint this Pinot Noir is both savory and succulent.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Pinot Noir Martaella Vineyard is medium to deep ruby-purple in the glass, giving aromas of warm red and black cherries, red licorice, peppery spice, savory accents and a vein of sweet spice. Medium to full-bodied, silky, layered and concentrated, it has wonderfully grainy tannins and juicy acidity, finishing very long and packed with flavor.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Warm, supple fruit is the star of this estate-vineyard wine, planted to heirloom clones. Flavors of baking spice, earth and rose petal ride beneath a core of lengthy cherry, pomegranate and plum, with good weight on the palate. Powerful and concentrated, it has balance and structure for days.
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Wine Spectator
Big and rich, with notes of dried mint to the ripe dark fruit flavors. The dense finish offers Asian spice and mocha details. Drink now through 2023.
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.