Winemaker Notes
J Wine Company's Estate Bottled Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is an elegant composition of hand-selected fruit from five of our distinctive Pinot Noir vineyards sprinkled throughout the appellation. As with the assemblage technique he uses in sparkling wine, Winemaker Oded Shakked tasted and blended each lot for flavor and complexity.
Each of J's vineyards contribute unique characteristics: opulence from the Robert Thomas Vineyard adjacent to the Russian River; bright red berries from Shirley's Vineyard nestled against Mark West Creek; elegance from Nick & Nonny's Vineyard; a touch of earthiness from the Teardrop Vineyard; and a brush stroke of rich color and structural concentration from Nicole's hillside clos.
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.