Winemaker Notes
Soft notes of gardenia, grapefruit blossom and fresh lemon zest compliment the subtle aromas of lavender and fennel seed. A focused palate, with an expansive midpalate that highlights the balanced acid and fine tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Pinot Noir Bootlegger's Hill was made primarily by Nico Cueva, who’s the winemaker for Kosta Browne. This is a ripe, medium to full-bodied, broad, and expansive effort from the Russian River Valley that offers terrific notes of strawberries and cherry fruit, lots of violets and forest floor nuances, silky tannin, and loads of spice on the finish. In short, it’s a classic Russian River Pinot Noir to drink over the coming decade.
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.