Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of blue fruits with baking spices as well as dried flowers. Citrus flowers. Hints of tar. Full-bodied with layers of very fine tannins that spread across the palate. Tension and length. It’s impressive now in its youth with great structure and length but it will reward bottle age.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Pinot Noir Lewis MacGregor Estate Vineyard has pure, layered scents of cranberry, rhubarb, licorice, blood orange and botanicals. The medium-bodied palate is packed with perfumed fruit. It has a velvety frame, vibrant acidity and a very long, flavorful finish. It unfurls dramatically as it spends time in the glass and will benefit from extended cellaring. Rating: 94+
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.