Winemaker Notes
As with all our Pinots from the vintage, there’s a real fruit compote character and natural density to the wine — layered, succulent and deep. A complex loamy-woodsy note adds extra sweetness and depth. The fresh acidity makes the wine stand upright: poised, punchy and youthfully dynamic. Stylistically, it’s a classic Green Valley hillside site-driven wine, quite distinct from the warmer parts of the Russian River Valley, and filled with soulful nuance. This is expected to age beautifully in bottle, so no hurry to drink it; give it some time to unfold through 2017 and beyond.
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.