Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard has a beautiful bouquet of Bing cherry and cranberry fruit intermixed with subtle violets, damp forest floor, and candied orange peel. Classically styled, with medium-bodied depth and richness, it has a tight, vibrant texture, bright acidity, and present, ripe tannins. This is classic, age-worthy Russian River Pinot Noir that's going to be better in a year or three and keep for over a decade. Rating: 94+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2016 Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard has a bright, open nose of Bing cherry, prosciutto, dried leaves, tricolored peppercorn, mushroom and blackberry with red berry sparks and rose petal perfume. Light to medium-bodied, it's open for business in the mouth, giving up a great interplay of earth and bright fruits. It's got a firm frame of chalky tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing very long and spicy. This is wonderful! With its more serious character and frame, this will require another couple of years in bottle at least. 290 cases produced.
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Wine Enthusiast
High toned and perfumed, this wine has ample texture and structure. Rose, lavender and blood orange effuse from the glass, before powerful waves of strawberry compote and rhubarb shoot through hoops of savory minerality.
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.