Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with roasted mushrooms, aged gouda or grilled salmon. Also goes great with eggplant moussaka, five-spice chicken, or grilled portobello bacon burgers would be magnificent.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Fog Veil has very pretty notes of cranberries, Bing cherries and pomegranate with touches of black pepper, lavender and cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied and offering a firm, plush frame and oodles of freshness, it gives tons of seductive yet elegantly styled fruit in the mouth, with a long mineral-laced finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
More exotic, the 2016 Pinot Noir Fog Veil comes from the estate Piner and Piner-Olivet Vineyards in the Russian River and was aged 15 months in 37% new French oak. Lots of red and black fruits, baking spices, dried earth, and even a hint of caramelized orange zest give way to a medium-bodied, rounded, supple, nicely textured Pinot Noir that has loads of character. Drink it over the coming 4-6 years.
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Wine Spectator
Spicy and suave, with sandalwood and cardamom notes to the cherry tart and baked plum flavors. Chocolate and cream details show on the rich finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Earthy and grippy character define this full-bodied wine, a full explosion of big flavor at its core. Cola, cherry and black currant complement in waves of sweet and savory flavor, with a lasting taste of forest floor and tea.
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.