Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This full-bodied wine smells like black pepper and light wood smoke, and tastes rugged but fruity as blackberry blends with woodsy notes. A dose of tannin provides grip in the texture, and good balance bodes well for mid-term aging. Best after 2019.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A beautiful cool-climate Pinot Noir made from Dijon clones 667, 777 and 115, this wine was aged nine months in 30% new French oak. The wine, from a high-elevation vineyard and one of the estate vineyards of the Jackson family, offers up notes of raspberry, strawberry, and a subtle hint of blueberry fruit. Lovely soil notes are intermixed in this decidedly cool-climate, fresh, lively, mid-weight Pinot Noir to drink over the next 3-4 years.
Anderson Valley, located in Mendocino County just above Sonoma County, is one of California’s coolest AVAs, allowing it a long growing season. Only 15 miles long, the region makes a slice eastward through the mountains, from the frigid Pacific Ocean. Dramatic diurnal temperature variations here preserve grape acidity and thus freshness in the finished wines. These are prime conditions for growing Pinot Noir, and the valley produces many fine versions. Characteristics of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir typically include crisp acidity, cranberry and strawberry notes as well as earthy notes of forest floor and mushroom.
Still Pinot Noir, however, is only part of the story. Pinot Noir, along with Chardonnay, are also grown for Anderson Valley’s exceptional sparkling wines. Produced via the traditional method, these offer a classic toasty note from lees aging, bright, complex fruit notes and a clean, refreshing character.