Splendid and jaunty, this beautiful wine captures the essence of what makes Russian River Valley Pinot Noir so delightful. Bright garnet color in the glass, the nose of this engaging wine is full of red floral aromas and perfumed spice. On the palate, lush layers of red cherry and cranberry emerge, as well as notes of rhubarb, and a hint of earthy minerality. Beautifully balanced acidity and fine-grained tannins provide structure and depth, culminating in a poised, lingering finish.
This superb expression of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir comes from two small, yet remarkable family farmed and certified sustainable vineyard sites within the renowned appellation, one off Westside Road in Healdsburg, and the other off Vine Hill Road in Sebastopol. This blend is made from a combination of heirloom Pinot Noir clones Calera, Swan, Pommard, Martini, as well as the newer French selection Dijon 943.
Hand harvested at night, the fruit was thoroughly sorted before destemming and transferring to open-top fermenters. Indigenous yeasts performed the fermentation and gentle punch downs were carried out during the 19-day-long maceration period. Most of the free-run wine went into large-format French oak puncheons. The balance, including the press fraction, went to 35% new and one and two-year-old French oak Burgundy barrels. The wine was aged for a total of 18 months before bottling.
