Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This medium- to full-bodied wine offers ripe fruit flavors and has a bold, moderately tannic texture that fills the mouth. To its credit, the wine shows some restraint in the firm acidity and almost tangy finish, so it keeps one coming back for another sip. Drink through 2026.
Cellar Selection -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is the last vintage of the Morning Dew Ranch vineyard designate, as it was sold in 2016. Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2016 Pinot Noir Burt Williams Morning Dew Ranch features scents of cinnamon stick, orange peel, dried bark, cranberry and warm raspberries plus accents of blackberries, dried spices and flowers, blue fruit hints and a saline and cola undercurrent. The palate is light to medium-bodied, silky and concentrated with soft, grainy tannins and very juicy acidity lifting the long, spiced finish. 435 cases produced.
Anderson Valley, located in Mendocino County just above Sonoma County, is one of California’s coolest AVAs, allowing it a long growing season. Only 15 miles long, the region makes a slice eastward through the mountains, from the frigid Pacific Ocean. Dramatic diurnal temperature variations here preserve grape acidity and thus freshness in the finished wines. These are prime conditions for growing Pinot Noir, and the valley produces many fine versions. Characteristics of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir typically include crisp acidity, cranberry and strawberry notes as well as earthy notes of forest floor and mushroom.
Still Pinot Noir, however, is only part of the story. Pinot Noir, along with Chardonnay, are also grown for Anderson Valley’s exceptional sparkling wines. Produced via the traditional method, these offer a classic toasty note from lees aging, bright, complex fruit notes and a clean, refreshing character.