Winemaker Notes
The Moonshine Ranch Pinot Noir show its sense of place by its range in depth, color and flavors. The Pinot Noir is grown on the estate properties from the far Sonoma Coast, to the Fort Ross – Seaview AVA, to the Green Valley of Russian River Valley and in the Russian River Valley.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch is pale to medium ruby in color with a broody nose of wild blackberries, black cherries, crushed red cherry, moss-covered bark and black tea leaves. It offers intense, dark spicy fruit in the mouth with grainy-textured tannins, good freshness and a long finish.
Rating: 93(+)
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.