Winemaker Notes
Starting on the nose, you'll be greeted with hints of cinnamon, black licorice, blackberry, anise and chocolate cherry. Expect a silky smooth tannin mouthfeel with notes of plum and jammy strawberry and a nice balance of acidity on the finish, making this a versatile pairing partner.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Notes of tobacco, rose petal, cherry, and cranberry meet a satin mouthfeel with a natural elegance. Showing hints of animal, cinnamon, and nutmeg as well as bracing acid structure, this red has lots to offer.
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Wine Enthusiast
Tempting, rich fruit aromas of baked cherries and ripe strawberries are followed by palate-warming, generous red and black cherries, dark plums and subtle oak spices. A full body and smooth, inviting texture make it seamless to sip.
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Wine Spectator
Leads with expressive cherry and blackberry compote notes, while sleek red tea and incense accents run through the juicy finish. Very tasty.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Screen Door Cellars Pinot Noir is an active wine of excellent brightness. Try it with skewered lamb. (Tasted: March 14, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
Screen Door Cellars is the result of the loving marriage between the bountiful promise of Northern California's finest terrain and climate, with the dedication, pride and commitment that embodies the Texas spirit. Winemakers Bobby and Shannon Donnell produce small amounts of their classic Russian River Valley wine beginning with the 2012 vintage. Bobby had moved from Texas and Shannon was studying viticulture at UC Davis when the couple met. After she graduated, they moved to the Napa Valley where Bobby took a harvest cellar position at St. Clement Vineyards and Shannon worked crush at Cakebread Cellars. They started a family and moved back to Shannon's home town of Sebastopol. In 2012 they began to realize their dream of starting their own wine brand. That year, Screen Door Cellars was launched, and a humble 100 cases were produced. Although 2012 was the first vintage, the idea of Screen Door came many years earlier, and was born from conversations over wine with Bobby's lifelong friend, David Raymond. The early sketches for what is now the Screen Door label came to life in the mid-2000s and moved with the Donnell's throughout their careers, house moves and growth of their family.
The ASERN Vineyard is owned by Shannon Donnell's parents. Purchased in 2013, the vineyard's ten acres of Chardonnay is fondly named after all the grandkids (Alex, Savannah, Emma, Robert and Norah). Donnell produces about three tons of Spring Mountain clone Chardonnay from this site that sits on top of a hill overlooking the coast and the Russian River. The label evokes what Shannon and Bobby wanted to develop with their wines – a casual, open door attitude and the experience of good wine shared with friends. Their winemaking philosophy is simple, source grapes from great regional growers in the Russian River Valley where the soil and coastal location support the production of stellar Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And, produce wines that match the style of the region's terroir.
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.