Winemaker Notes
The wine is very delicate ruby red wine which incredible aromatics. Seductive, bright and complex, this medium to medium minus bodied wine carries notes of strawberry, raspberry, and redcurrant with a touch of spice. This wine is easy drinking, and well poised to age.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Founded by Nick Maloney in 2010, this wine is sourced from the Oehlman Vineyard, to the north of Sebastopol in Sonoma County and close to where he grew up. His background making wines in Bordeaux and Burgundy has led him to produce distinctly fresh and elegant wines - this Pinot, for example, has a bricky colour with a fragrant, pongy nose; very Burgundian so far. In the mouth it's light and juicy, with cherry fruit and a woody undertow joined by a transparent acidity. This is so fresh and easy compared to your typical Californian big-hitter.
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.