Scherrer Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2012
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This is truly a fine vintage and represents what I think is the perfect expression of the Green Valley neighborhood: red (cranberry and red plums) and some black (black cherry and a hint of boysenberry) fruits, slightly herbal back note with a tiny earthy side note. All these voices are singing at the appropriate volume and are right in tune. The finish is very long and echoes the entry flavors nicely.
It has perfect acidity to pair nicely with grilled salmon yet enough of the dark side to work fantastic with lightly smoked pork sausage and herbs (as I tried recently in my ongoing dinner time research on such important matters). As with our rosés, I think the acidity is a great counterpoint to saltiness (both in the sausage as well as what the salmon often is touched with) and a light touch with oak still allows perfect harmony with lightly smoked foods. Interestingly, with salmon, the dark fruits show more prominently while with the pork sausage the red fruits in the form of red plums are on top. As you may have noticed, I am enjoying this important line of research and look forward to furthering that project in the near future.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Showing the benefits of a little age, this is a rich, supple, layered effort, with a deep core of loamy blackberry, licorice, wilted rose and floral scents. The flavors are intense, offering excellent traction. Drink now through 2023.
Other Vintages
2010-
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Sometimes we bottle wines from single vineyards, or even blocks within a vineyard. Usually, these vineyard designates are the synthesis of multiple sub-sites within a given vineyard. Sometimes we bottle ‘Appellation wines’ that are also single vineyard sourced but happen not to have unusually specific geographic personality beyond being delicious examples of their appellation. These Appellation wines are the result of blending carefully selected vineyard sites to achieve balance and harmony. Occasionally, such as with our Zinfandoodle, we blend between two vintages to achieve this balance and harmony. If any parcels are left over that are not assets to these wines, they find a home in someone else’s program, rather than ours.”
-Fred Scherrer
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.