Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale ruby colored, the 2014 Pinot Noir Olivet Lane Vineyard has a very pretty rose petal and lavender-laced nose over a core of kirsch, ripe raspberries and forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers soft, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness supporting the elegant red berry and cherry flavors, finishing with persistent mineral and herbal notes.
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Wine Enthusiast
With a sniff of noble reduction, this is a well-made robust wine, indicative of its historic estate and small-production values. A juicy core of broad plum, dark cherry and pomegranate wrap seamlessly around a fresh streak of minerality and rich texture.
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Wine & Spirits
This is a heavy-set Russian River Valley pinot, a muscle-bound wine pumped up with ripe red fruit preserves. All of that flavor comes in layers, detailed by black-peppercorn spice in the tannins, and by a salty, sanguine note that adds complexity to the ripe fruit. If you like elegant pinot noir, look elsewhere, but if you enjoy cool, sappy, richly textured reds, this one has lots of appeal.
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.