Winemaker Notes
This wine is an excellent example of the terroir that Jenkins Ranch can bring to a wine. It is very harmonious, with smooth tannins and beautiful acidity. Those of you who have tasted Pinot Noir with Donald Patz know his strong belief in the "perfume" of Pinot Noir. The 2018 Jenkins Ranch surely has that perfume in spades.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is 50% whole-cluster and aged in 90% new oak. From the great site farmed by Charlie Chenoweth, it is buzzy in crisp acidity, with savory layers of black tea, forest and clove. A richness of cherry-cordial flavor complements and contrasts.
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James Suckling
A high-toned red with lots of dried-strawberry, toasted-oak and toffee character. It’s full and layered with lots of fruit and intensity. Drinkable now, but better in 2021.
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.