Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Claiming a little more power and punch as the things that set it slightly apart from its mates but no less deep and specific in its well-defined fruit, this weighty, generously filled working steps out as the boldest of the DuMOL clan. It is also the one that is most in need of age and its considerable richness comes at the cost of refinement, but its youthful coarseness, scant heat and slightly too-obvious finishing tannins are no more than momentary misdemeanors that will be forgotten once five or so years in the cellar have done their work.
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Wine Spectator
Pure, elegant and juicy, with a judicious mix of cherry, plum and raspberry flavors, complemented by gravel-laced tannins, a snappy vibrancy and a long, clean finish. Drink now through 2022.
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.