Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A bright wave of spicy sarsaparilla rides alongside crunchy, vibrant tones of crisp red cherry, pomegranate and dried herbs in this impressive, well-balanced wine from a tremendous site. Medium bodied, it shows grace and strength in equal measure for superb overall balance.
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James Suckling
This has attractive concentration and offers a very rich, focused array of ripe-cherry aromas with attractive, subtly played oak influence. The palate delivers a strikingly deep and concentrated array of pristine red and black cherries with seamlessly long, silky tannins.
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Jeb Dunnuck
More black cherries, wild plums, sous bois, damp earth, and dried flower notes all give way to a vibrant, textured Pinot Noir that has killer purity of fruit, a great texture, and good acidity. It's a classic, impeccably made Pinot Noir that has loads to love.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Chenoweth Ranch has a beautiful core of pure red and black cherries, mulberries, spice box and incense notes with hints of underbrush and tea. Medium-bodied, the palate provides grippy tannins and great tension with plenty of pure, vibrant fruit and a long 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.