Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Compared to the winery’s regular Russian River bottling, this is considerably more tannic. Yet it doesn’t take long for the spiced plum pudding, cherry compote, black raspberry, cola and smoky oak flavors to kick in. Fantastic now, and should hold for the remainder of this decade.
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Wine Spectator
Dark purple-red, very rich and complex, with concentrated wild berry and blackberry fruit flavors that are firm and dense. Impressive for its depth and focus; the flavors pick up a plum and boysenberry note on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The outstanding, dark ruby/purple-tinged 2003 Pinot Noir Westside Neighbors offers alluring aromas of sweet black cherries, raspberries, and honeyed currants.
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.