Winemaker Notes
This vintage displays a deep garnet color, with aromas of abundant cocoa and dark chocolate —hallmarks of the Coopersmith Vineyard. Add to this scents of raspberries, red and black cherries, fresh plum and perfumed notes of plumeria and sandalwood. The entry is soft and round, with hints of freshly turned earth, savory roasted pork, bergamot tea and toasted almonds. Racy acidity, firm tannins and a spicy, long finish tell us that this will be a long-lived and full-bodied wine. Enjoy its youthful vibrancy now but lay some down for a rewarding future payoff!
To pair with this big, expressive wine, we turned to our friend Michele Anna Jordan, noted local food writer and accomplished chef. Her suggestion was Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Risotto. The recipe calls for a wide range of spices and dried fruit as well as jam. The resulting pairing of luscious, tender, fruit-scented roast pork and luxurious risotto complements and elevates this Pinot.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2018 Pinot Noir Coopersmith is a dense, powerful wine. Black cherry, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and graphite infuse the 2018 with tremendous richness and pure density. Time in the glass brings out the wine's natural resonance and virile intensity.
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Wine Enthusiast
Creamy with high-toned, underlying acidity, this wine is well structured and weighty. Rich layers of strawberry and cranberry highlight a core of concentrated tannin and oak, with underlying complements of baking spice and cola.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Coopersmith has a nose of dried cherries and baked blackberries with touches of cinnamon stick, charcuterie, licorice and earth. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, and it fleshes out to appealing spicy nuances on the long finish.
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Wine Spectator
Elegant and rich tasting, with a dense core of dark currant and plum tart flavors that are well-structured. Intense forest floor accents on a finish that is filled with cooking spice notes.
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.