Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of strawberry and chamomile tea. A light-bodied Pinot with a balanced tannin structure. The candied strawberry is a style that seems common in this region. Very nicely balanced wine.
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Wine Enthusiast
Lots of sweet, spicy fruit flavor in this flamboyant Pinot Noir. It flatters with a rich burst of caramelized oak and buttered cinnamon toast, but the real star is the cherry, raspberry, star anise and pomegranate flavor. Acidity and tannins provide welcome structure. The blend is from vineyards from both cooler and warmer parts of the valley.
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Wine Spectator
Firm and spicy, with tight mineral, dried berry, anise and blueberry flavors delivered on a beam. Full-bodied, gaining structure on the 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.