Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This dramatic Pinot Noir hits all the sweet spots. It's incredibly rich with cherry pie, red currants, cherry liqueur and smoky sandalwood flavors, yet remains balanced, due to firm tannins and great Russian River acidity. Delicious now, and for the next 2–3 years at least.
-
Wine Spectator
Vibrant, fresh and dense, with a tight core of plum and raspberry fruit that remains tightly focused and persistent. Lively acidity keeps the flavors dancing. Drink now through 2020.
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.