Winemaker's Notes
This is the first release of our 2010 Pinot Noirs. It could actually be labeled as ‘Russian River Valley’ but I do not feel that this blend usually expresses this origin as clearly. The Sonoma normally carries itself more delicately and tends to find its stride ahead of the other wines. While still true, in 2010 it really does demonstrate its RRV origin more clearly than usual. The core of this wine and the RRV bottling comes from the heart of the Green Valley. Over the years we have been fine– tuning our vineyard relationships. Our long–term contracts stay with those who share our direction and sensibilities best and with the vineyard blocks that have good synergy with each other.
On opening the bottle, I am impressed by the Goldridge soil-signature orange peel notes and how much cinnamon– like spiciness the wine exhibits. With a couple minutes of air, the fruity, cherry, plummy thing comes up even more prominently. It takes about a year in bottle for the wine to find its stride anyway. The texture is now beginning to emerge from within its structure, which is about when we like to first offer the wine here. Yields were quite small this vintage and there is only 25% the amount we produced of this in 2008, so it will not last long in restaurants and wine shops when it is finally released to them in another year or so.
Judi Scherrer –
Vinous – February 2014
Sweet red cherries, mint, tobacco and cinnamon lift from the glass in the 2010 Pinot Noir (Sonoma County). Mid-weight and gracious, the 2010 impresses for is balance and understated, classy personality. The 2010 will drink well for at least the next handful of years. The style is floral and aromatic. The Sonoma County Pinot is mostly Russian River fruit, with a dollop of declassified Platt juice. 89 points. Antonio Galloni