Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
We tasted a lot of Russian River Valley pinot noir over the course of several days and this one stood out as classical. It’s a wine with both stamina and depths to its flavors, reverberating long after each sip, as if you’d been listening to digitized jazz for a while, then decided to play Stan Getz on vinyl and the sound filled the room in a completely different way. “Coming home to RRV,” I wrote. “This tastes like Rochioli in its richness and layered-soil verve.” It might surprise some rock-head terroirists that a wine grown in layers of sand washed off the river could offer so much distinction, and yet this is one of the most identifiable pinot noirs in California.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Pinot Noir Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and a nose of Bing cherry, black cherry, cranberry and rhubarb with cinnamon stick, autumn leaves, potpourri, perfumed earth and dust hints. The light to medium-bodied palate is softly grainy and lifted by juicy acidity, with spiced, bright red fruits accented by new oak touches, finishing very long. 766 cases produced.
-
Wine Spectator
Rich and powerful, with a plush texture to the richly spiced plum compote and cherry tart flavors. Dried beef accents show midpalate, leading to a finish filled with savory spice notes. Drink now through 2024.
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
Impressing with its sense of grace and finesse more than it does for boldness and big muscles, the 2017 Rochioli Riverblock bottling is a lithe, close-to-sleek Pinot that bends to prettiness rather than potency. It may not show quite the richness and reach of its fuller mates, but it is a lovely, fairly elegant effort all the same that will fill the bill nicely when the menu features lighter fare.
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.