Winemaker Notes
Aromas and flavors of red cherry and cassis with layered notes of baking spice, savory herbs and dried rose hips. The flavors are elevated on the palate by bright acidity and fine tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Exotic aromas of ripe strawberries and orange peel with hints of foie gras and crushed stone. Full-bodied, dense and tight with firm and chewy tannins that are slightly austere,providing form and structure. Give this time to soften, but it already shows energy. Drink after 2021.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aged in about 20% new oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is pale to medium ruby with a nose of pomegranate, cranberry and rhubarb with warm wild blackberries, graphite, smoke, dried tea leaves and flowers with hints of cinnamon stick and orange peel. Light to medium-bodied, it's silky—soft but strong—with a good core of spicy fruits, juicy acidity and a long, spice-laced finish. 1,500 cases produced.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and plush, with floral notes to the ripe dark plum and wild berry flavors. Medium-grained tannins show on finish, which is filled with decadent Asian spice details. Drink now through 2023.
Over 25 years ago, Flowers Vineyards and Winery pioneered the growing of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the rugged coastal ridges of the extreme Sonoma Coast. Joan and Walt Flowers had a simple goal, to make exceptional wine that captures the wild beauty of the land and the spirit of the Sonoma Coast. This idea continues to drive everything we do - farming responsibly, harvesting by hand, using 100% native fermentation, and making wine with minimal intervention. Our unwavering commitment to crafting distinctive wines that capture the spirit of the Sonoma Coast has been the bedrock of our success, and it will continue to drive us forward for years to come.
Perched on top of soaring coastal ridges that border the nearby Pacific Ocean, our estate vineyards, Camp Meeting Ridge and Sea View Ridge, rise to impressive elevations from 1,150 to 1,875 feet. Flowers resides in the Fort Ross-Seaview American Viticulture Area (AVA), which was established in 2012 and located on the extreme western edge of the Sonoma Coast Appellation. Defined by elevation, rugged terrain and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, vineyard plantings are limited to 920-1,800+ft above sea level and are only 2% of the total AVA acreage.
The Pacific Ocean is less than two miles from the vineyards, generating cooling sea breezes and coastal fog while the soaring elevations ensure abundant sunshine for a long, slow growing season. Together they create an ideal environment for elegant and nuanced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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.