Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The Allen bottling typically needs time to come around. This ’06 shows the dusty tannins that close it down a bit in its youth, suggesting a good five years in the cellar. Silky and refined, it should evolve to a fine wine, with its cherry pie, mocha, cola and spice flavors. If you drink now, decant. Beautiful with a fine grilled steak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From the well-known Allen Vineyard, the 2006 Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard is deep ruby in color, with a sweet nose of pomegranate, raspberry, and cherry, some spicy herbs, and some damp earth and underbrush, the wine has good acidity, medium to full body..
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.