Winemaker Notes
In 2015, a warm Spring led to early bud break and bloom, while a cold May reduced fruit set and kept yields in check. Final ripening happened at a steady state and contributed to an early harvest with high fruit quality.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Lush and concentrated in texture, this vineyard-designate is bright and tart with a bite of crunchy tannin and a bouquet of rose and lavender lurking on the nose. Light bodied and ultimately balanced, it brightens on the palate with a whirl of blood orange that complements the cranberry, pomegranate and cherry cola.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Situated on the foggier and colder western edge of the Russian River Valley, almost abutting the Sonoma Coast appellation, Green Valley is one of California’s most reputable Chardonnay and Pinot noir producing regions. It is also a wonderful source of sparkling wines made from these varieties.
Goldridge soils abound throughout the Green Valley appellation. This fine, dark, sandy loam and fractured sandstone is derived from the remains of ancient inland seabeds dating back three to five million years. It is valuable for high quality grape growing because of its excellent drainage and low fertility.