Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A pretty nose of cherries, roses and earth with hints of cedar and mushrooms. The palate is juicy, with ripe cherry and tart plum flavors. Rich but nicely balanced, with a clean and lingering finish of oranges and savory herbs. Medium-bodied.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir Chenoweth Ranch was matured in 42% new French oak. It’s bursting with aromas of blackberry, tobacco, bergamot, sage and flint. Full-bodied, it floods the mouth with earth-laced flavors. It’s framed by pleasantly rustic tannins and bright acidity and has a long, spicy finish.
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Wine Spectator
A succulent core of blood orange and raspberry pate de fruit is inlaid with savory, sassafras and red tea details. Theres an underlying zip through the finish. Drink now through 2030. 300 cases made.
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.