Winemaker Notes
This wine is very much Russian River Pinot Noir – red and black fruits, floral and spice notes, a balance between showing richness and keeping focus, nice mid-palate weight, and the overall elegance I expect from this wine. As always, it’s very versatile with food – and paired with grilled pork tenderloin and Moroccan spices would be an amazing combination.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is a good value as well as an introduction into the wines of this estate. Brambly red and black fruits, spice, and dried flower notes all emerge from the glass, and it's elegant, lightly textured, and beautifully balanced. This is one of my favorites in the lineup.
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.