Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Zeros in on a tight core of vivid dark berry, with touches of wild berry, raspberry and blueberry shaded by creamy oak. Gains velocity and depth, ending with a long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2022.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Sweet and outgoing in scent with toasty oak in support of its deep, and nicely concentrated black cherry fruit, this ample offering has lots of substance and size with a sense of solidity and the structure of an eminently ageworthy Pinot Noir. Its undisguised ripeness is tempered by its fine acid balance, and its lengthy finish is marked by a slight tannic grip. It is still a bit gruff at the edges, but its prospects for polish are quite good, and it will pay dividends to those willing to wait for another three to five years.
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.