Winemaker Notes
Aromas of black cherry, wild blueberry, and allspice are followed by flavors of red plum, boysenberry, and sassafras. On the palate, the 2017 vintage presents juicy acidity and soft tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Tangy in strawberry and dark cherry, this impressively full-bodied, richly constructed wine is expansive and elegant. Tremendous structure upholds its core of tannin and oak, finishing with a tangy, high-acid crispness and length.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another Russian River release, the 2017 Pinot Noir Fogveil comes from three estate vineyards: Barbieri, Olivet, and Piner. Aged 14 months in 37% new French oak, it gives up medium to full-bodied notes of baking spices, mulled raspberries, black cherries, candied flowers, and toasty oak. This rich, nicely concentrated 2017 has a great mid-palate as well as texture and is another beautiful wine in the lineup.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Pinot Noir Fog Veil aged 15 months in 37% new French oak. It's pale to medium ruby, opening to red licorice, saline, rhubarb and pomegranate with accents of tangerine, red plum, roasted sage, blueberries and a spicy undercurrent. Light to medium-bodied, it's delicate but with loads of flavor layers from ripe fruits, spices, bitters and earth, with a fine, grainy frame and juicy acidity lifting the long finish.
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Wine Spectator
Redolent of cherry tart, with plenty of pastry accents. Juicy and fresh, featuring hints of black licorice midpalate. Slate and spice details show on the crunchy finish.
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.