Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of plum and blueberry character with hints of wet earth. Black tea notes. Full body, rich and flavorful. So much going on here. Pretty now but better in 2019.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir offers a profoundly fruity nose of black cherries, mulberries and black raspberries with hints of cinnamon stick, underbrush and Provence herbs. Medium-full in body, rich, plush and oh-so-juicy, this wine delivers mouth-filling blackberry satisfaction with a lively herbal lift.
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.