Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From the Russian River Valley and the newest single vineyard from this team (the first vintage was 2012), the 2013 Pinot Noir Giusti Vineyard is another big, rich, full-flavored Pinot Noir that gives up slightly lifted notes of dark fruits, graphite and peppery spice. Almost completely destemmed and aged 16 months in 40% new French oak, it’s a sensational Pinot Noir with terrific purity in its concentrated, layered and textured personality. It's superb today, but will cruise through at least 2023.
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Wine Spectator
Deceptively complex, with subtle, vibrant raspberry and blackberry flavors that are fresh and vibrant, revealing touches of black cherry and red plum that are expansive. Ends with a touch of crushed rock and fresh-turned earth. Drink now through 2022.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Rich, relatively weighty and checking in on the slightly higher end of the ripeness scale, this heady effort fixes on full-blown, distinctly black cherry fruit. It is not much for nuance and may not be even as time passes, but it shows great depth and varietal authority albeit with a minimal touch of heat as the cost. It is big, solid stuff and it succeeds in the style, but it needs a few years of age and is not a Pinot to pick when looking to complement delicate dishes.
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.