Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir is a deep, ruby-colored wine with complex aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries, forest floor and violets interlaced with a savory grilled herb nuance. Black cherries and kirsch flavors complement silky tannins and a multi-layered mouthfeel. The lingering and nuanced finish is a hallmark of all bottlings from this amazing vineyard site.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from an incredibly cold site in the Russian River Valley that was planted in 1975 to the heritage Martini clone, the 2017 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard was completely destemmed and spent 16 months in 44% new French oak, which is on the higher end for this estate. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it offers a more fresh, focused, backward style to go with classy Bing cherry and raspberry fruits as well as notes of spice, sappy herbs, and spring flowers, It has a kiss of background oak (which will integrated with 1-2 years of bottle age), good acidity, and ripe tannins, yet unquestionably needs 2-3 years of bottle age to show its full potential. This beautiful, potential-packed beauty that will be one of the longer-lived releases here. Rating: 96+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard does pirouettes out of the glass with a pretty perfume of red roses, fragrant soil, lavender and kirsch over a core of warm cranberries, mulberries and tilled soil plus a waft of truffles. Medium-bodied, the palate is so delicately played with surprising vibrancy and persistence among the fine-grained tannins and understated nuances. Just beautiful.
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Wine Spectator
Resonant, with ripe spiciness to the broad, fleshy flavors of dark plum, blackberry and dark currant. The powerfully pure and well-knit finish lingers, featuring concentrated raspberry tart accents, backed by firm tannins. Best from 2021 through 2026.
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.