Winemaker Notes
Tiny berries and thicker skins make for a heady and opulent 2020 Hallberg Ranch Pinot Noir. It pumps out volumes of candied fruit, faded rose petal, blood orange, and sweet spicy seed aromas. As it opens up, secondary notes of Asian spice, tamarind, and potpourri are revealed. It smells serious and sweet, and the mouth follows suit. In typical Hallberg fashion, its acidity is beautifully balanced by a smooth oily quality that never feels heavy.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This has vibrant pomegranate and mulberry notes that burst to the fore, with a fresh, unencumbered feel as hibiscus and iris accents spill in on the breezy, mineral-tinged 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.