Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Deceptively rich and layered, with a loamy earth and cranberry edge to the medley of red berry and dusty earth flavors. Pure, clean and focused, this is tight and closed, so best to cellar short term.
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Wine Enthusiast
Charm marks this young Pinot Noir. It's softly luscious and delicious in raspberry and cherry jam, cola and sandalwood flavors. The acid-tannin structure is just fine. It shows a candied directness now, but you may want to cellar it for 5–6 years and see how it develops.
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.