Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rather pretty nose of ripe red cherries and dried colored flowers. Full-bodied with fine, soft tannins and a lot of nuance. The fruit shoots out like a beam and does not weaver for a second through the incredibly long finish. This guy really hums. Drinkable now, but best after 2023.
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Wine Spectator
This has a lush and fruity fragrance, with a silky texture to the concentrated raspberry, cherry tart and red currant flavors. Creamy midpalate, with an enveloping finish that shows sandalwood and cocoa powder accents. Drink now through 2027.
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.