Winemaker Notes
Brilliant, pure fruit, with notes of black plum, wild raspberry, rich cherry, and baking spices on the nose. On the palate, the wine is long and broad, with fresh blueberry and black cherry undertones. Elegant, with tremendous depth and alluring acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a great site in the Russian River Valley and just about all destemmed and aged 16 months in 55% new French oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Treehouse Vineyard reveals a slightly deeper ruby/purple hue as well as more black cherry and slightly darker fruits that give way to more spice, violet, bouquet garni, and white flower notes with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied and balanced, with ripe tannins and a classic Burgundian style, it's another stunning Pinot Noir from this estate that can be drunk today or cellared for over a decade.
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Wine Spectator
Powerful, lusciously spiced and contoured, with well-honed underbrush and cedary spice accents to the dried red fruit and berry flavors. The rich finish features toasty notes. Drink now through 2026.
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Wine & Spirits
Tarry and rich, this has an amaro-like bitterness and smoky warmth to the tan-nins. The texture is velvety and generous. For braised beef.
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.