Winemaker Notes
From the estate surrounding our winery located in the Laguna Ridge neighborhood of the Russian River Valley, a light carmine color shines in the glass with fragrant aromas of herbal tea, rhubarb, violet, and clove. On the palate, elevated flavors of raspberry, Damson plum, and cola join earthy notes of forest pine and cedar over an elegant and lengthy finish framed by supple tannins and bright acidity.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship is the 2017 Pinot Noir Katherine Lindsay Estate comes from vines around the estate, in the Laguna Ridge region of the Russian River Valley. It saw just touch of stems (10%) and was brought up in 45-55% new French oak. This ruby/purple-hued beauty offers an incredibly elegant, seamless profile that carries perfumed red currant, raspberries and cherry fruits intermixed with white flowers, spice, and underbrush. While one of the most elegant and seamless in the lineup, it doesn't skimp on fruit and has plenty of intensity, integrated acidity, and thrilling tannin quality. It's another awesome Pinot Noir from this estate that benefits from a decant if drinking anytime soon and will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for a decade.
-
James Suckling
This is a gloriously decadent and rich wine that’s layered and very fresh. Medium body and fine tannins. Succulent and wild. Drink it!
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From heritage selections of Pommard and Swan clone vines, the 2017 Pinot Noir Katherine Lindsay Estate has a lovely perfume of cinnamon stick, mushroom, tobacco leaves and tree bark with red and black cherries, smoked cranberries and rhubarb plus a bergamot accent. Medium-bodied, it's silky with earth-laced fruits in the mouth, framed by vibrant, juicy acidity and a finely grainy frame and finishing long and lifted. 957 cases produced.
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
A little less forceful than either of its two 2017 siblngs from Paul Hobbs and showing the prettier side of Pinot, this lively, very young, carefully structured effort is a wine more of potential than immediate gratification, and, at its heart, has the fruity solidity and vigor to repay three to five years of age. We very much like where it is headed and expect that an altogether exquisite wine awaits, but patience is the key to real beauty here.
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.