Winemaker Notes
The primary goal in bottling this wine is to produce a pinot noir that speaks of the terroir of the Russian River Valley as a whole and best reflects the character of the vintage. Very intense red, dark cherry, raspberry on the nose. Dark plum on the palate, smooth tannins, long finish. Serious wine! It is long, rich and well balanced. Like all of the Cuvée de Trois blends, the emphasis is on creating a wine that drank well upon release but one that is surely capable of rewarding some cellaring.
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.