Hartford Court Velvet Sisters Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the Anderson Valley, the 2018 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters has textbook savory, herbal, mineral style as well as wonderful darker cherry and exotic blueberry fruits, medium to full body, loads of floral and violet nuances, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's up-front and fruit-forward, yet it has plenty of tannins as well as remarkable purity and freshness. Drink this singular Pinot Noir over the coming 7-8 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 28% new. Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, it gives up the most gorgeous perfume of red roses, Ceylon tea, cinnamon stick and garrigue with a core of kirsch, black raspberries and pomegranate plus a touch of Provence herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate is super intense with a seriously lively backbone and gorgeous plush texture, finishing long and layered.
Other Vintages
2019-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
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Wine
Enthusiast
Making delicious wines of high personality is directly related to the difficult locations of the Hartford family's vineyard sources, the limited production of their bottlings and the varietals they use. "Character through adversity" is an expression that the Hartford family believes to apply to both people and grapevines, and they feel that surviving adversity builds character, and personality, in both.
The Hartford Family makes wines under two marks, one of which is Hartford Court. Hartford Court bottlings are small lots of high-personality single vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that express the distinctive qualities inherent in each vineyard's terroir - the interplay of soil, slope, exposure and climate. The fruit is sourced from the Russian River Valley, Green Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations.
Anderson Valley, located in Mendocino County just above Sonoma County, is one of California’s coolest AVAs, allowing it a long growing season. Only 15 miles long, the region makes a slice eastward through the mountains, from the frigid Pacific Ocean. Dramatic diurnal temperature variations here preserve grape acidity and thus freshness in the finished wines. These are prime conditions for growing Pinot Noir, and the valley produces many fine versions. Characteristics of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir typically include crisp acidity, cranberry and strawberry notes as well as earthy notes of forest floor and mushroom.
Still Pinot Noir, however, is only part of the story. Pinot Noir, along with Chardonnay, are also grown for Anderson Valley’s exceptional sparkling wines. Produced via the traditional method, these offer a classic toasty note from lees aging, bright, complex fruit notes and a clean, refreshing character.