Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, with its abundance light cherry and rose pedals sustained by notes of tobacco and pine in the nose, walks a fine line between the delicate and the rich and dense. On the tongue, ripe cherry, plum, and toasted almonds fill the cheeks while roasted wild mushrooms flesh out the palate.
Ideal pairings for this wine include roasted & grilled dishes of all kinds, mushroom risotto, aged hard cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Earth, clove, nutmeg and forest floor dominate the medium-bodied palate of this smooth, spicy wine, a blend from several neighborhoods within the appellation. Rhubarb and strawberry develop through a creamy center.
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.