Winemaker Notes
Clone 23 always adds a deep purple color to wine, and this was certainly true for the 2016 vintage KR Ranch Pinot Noir. The nose of the 2016, unlike past Keefer bottlings, suggests intense black cherries when it is ?rst poured. Trademark rose petal fragrances start to emerge with aeration, and they manifest even more as the wine sits in the glass. Bright acidity is the hallmark of the KR Ranch palate, but here a ripe berry fruit shines through as well. The 2016 KR Ranch Pinot Noir is already drinking well in early 2018, and it should continue to open up nicely for the next six years.
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.