Whetstone Wine Cellars Pleasant Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005
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The center piece of our property is a 19th Century, French-style Chateau built by Hamden W. McIntyre, an expert in gravity-flow winery design. McIntyre designed several local gravity-flow wineries, including: Eschol (now Trefethen), the Seneca Ewer (Beaulieu), Greystone and Inglenook (Rubicon). In 1885 construction was complete of the “Hedgeside” winery and co-located distillery operations and caves. Many phases of the building have come and gone since 1885. From family deaths, the business changing hands, 14 years of Prohibition, but the beauty of the estate has always remained. Whether enjoying some of our Sonoma Coast or Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs, Carneros Chardonnay, cult favorite Russian River Valley Viognier, or Napa Valley Syrah we relish the opportunity to indulge your wine country experience.
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.