Winemaker's Notes
As our ‘entry level’ Pinot Noir, this always hits well above its price point in every aspect. It allows me to cast as wide a geographical net within Sonoma County to assemble a dynamite Pinot Noir. It’s seriously structured, has great complexity and ages well. While I could label this as Russian River Valley, I don’t because there’s another bottling that always has that signature big-time (called the Russian River Valley bottling, of course). However, this vintage actually shows a bit of Russian River Valley signature of dark cherry cola, plus a bit of peony and even a spicy musky hint as well. On the mouth, there is hibiscus added, good core tannin structure and just enough acidity to make it juicy and uplifting while showing good continuity of flavor and a long finish.
Day 2, the aromatics are a bit less effusive. However, the mouth becomes a powerhouse explosion of red fruits, darker fruits with an earthy counterpoint and all-important juicy acidity. Again, it has weight and seriousness beyond most Single Vineyard bottlings I see out there lately. Put this in a blind tasting of 2018-2021 fancy Pinot Noirs and tell me what you think.
