Winemaker Notes
Deeply aromatic coastal Pinot Noir full of complex dark aromas of Asian spice, soy, and bouillon. It brightens with air to reveal hibiscus, lilac, and orange zest freshness. Beautifully sleek red and black fruit flavors that are penetrating and tangy. Lacy texture and silky featherweight tannins with lively natural acidity. Long mineral-flecked finish with mint, tobacco, and apple skin edges.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Pinot Noir Dutton-Jentoft is packed with medicinal herbs, forested earth, and red plum. The palate is tangy and full of tension, with cranberry and rocky earth. With its driven acidity, this is a wine that commands to have food at the table. Drink 2024-2039.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Pinot Noir Ryan Jentoft Vineyard has a medium ruby color and dynamic, spicy accents—cardamom, violet, conifer and licorice—to complement a deep core of pomegranate and rhubarb. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated, layered and ultra spicy, with a long, very fragrant finish.
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.