Winemaker Notes
This is a wine crafted with notes of wild berry, spicy, and mineral driven produced by the older vines.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard has a slowly opening nose of dried rose petal and violet, charcuterie, peppercorn, warm red cherries, dried herbs, dusty earth, bergamot and warm blackberries. It's light to medium-bodied with a silky texture and intense, spicy, earth-accented fruits, framed by grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing very long and very spicy.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From the Anderson Valley, the 2017 Pinot Noir Bearwallow Vineyard reveals a deeper ruby/purple color as well as a powerful, fruit-forward bouquet of scorched earth, toasted spices, earth, and forest floor nuances. It's a rich, powerful Pinot Noir with a more mouthfilling, chewy style that lacks some of the elegance found in the other releases here. Give it a year or two.
Anderson Valley, located in Mendocino County just above Sonoma County, is one of California’s coolest AVAs, allowing it a long growing season. Only 15 miles long, the region makes a slice eastward through the mountains, from the frigid Pacific Ocean. Dramatic diurnal temperature variations here preserve grape acidity and thus freshness in the finished wines. These are prime conditions for growing Pinot Noir, and the valley produces many fine versions. Characteristics of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir typically include crisp acidity, cranberry and strawberry notes as well as earthy notes of forest floor and mushroom.
Still Pinot Noir, however, is only part of the story. Pinot Noir, along with Chardonnay, are also grown for Anderson Valley’s exceptional sparkling wines. Produced via the traditional method, these offer a classic toasty note from lees aging, bright, complex fruit notes and a clean, refreshing character.