2005 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Appellation Selection		  
SOLD OUT!
 

The Vineyards
The Russian River Valley is famous for its ability to produce some of the best Pinot Noir in California . Its success comes from the combination of coastal and continental climates; a balance which the delicate Pinot Noir needs in order to form the signature soft tannins, earthy aromas and cherry-like flavors. Each morning and late afternoon, coastal fog rolls in over the small coastal hills of west Sonoma county, settling into the valleys where many of the best Pinot Noir vineyards are planted, cooling off warm summer temperatures and lengthening the ripening process. The grapes for our Russian River Valley bottling are sourced from several different sites for a balance of flavors and aromas, ranging from the cool slopes of Occidental to the balmy floodplains of the Russian River .

The Vintage
2005 is an outstanding vintage for almost all grapes in the Russian River Valley , and Pinot Noir is no exception. A dry spring created small berries, which increased concentration and varietal character. Almost textbook perfect, Mother Nature provided us with even temperatures and steady, slow ripening. The grapes were hand-harvested in small batches between September 21 and 29 in order to have optimum tannin, color and flavor ripeness for each of the lots
Click Here for Printer-Friendly Version
Winemaking
After gentle pressing, the grapes were fermented in small stainless steel tanks for each individual lot. The must was inoculated with a special yeast strain used for cool fermentations and cherry aromas. During the fermentation, the wine underwent daily punchdowns for gentle color, tannin, flavor and aroma compound extraction. After a short fermentation, the wine was racked into 100% French oak barrels from Tonnellerie Remond for 10 months of barrel aging.
Winemaker's Notes
A classic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, with the appellation’s signature cherry-cola aromas and bright ruby color. The tannins are fine grained and velvety, balanced by a sour cherry acidity and fresh fruit notes of plum, raspberry, Marion berry and cherries. Sweet oak spices of cinnamon and vanilla round out the finish, which lingers on the palate. A hint of leather and cedar begins to emerge as the wine breathes, promising excellent aging potential, with secondary aromas and flavors of tobacco leaf, dried fruits and spice to come forward in the next three to five years of aging.
 
Mark R. Lyon, Winemaker
Technical Data
Appellation: Russian River Valley Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Barrel Aging: Aged 10 months in Tonnellerie-Remond, French oak barrels Alcohol: 14.3%
TA: 0.61 g/100ml pH: 3.46
Bottling Date: October 2006 Release Date:  

Past Vintages (downloadable pdf files):

2004

2003

Awards and Acclaim:

2004 Vintage

4 Stars and Excellent from Restaurant Wine: "A finely flavored, comlex Pinot Noir, that is medium intense, lightly oaked, and long on the finish, tasting of blueberry, cedar, toast and raspberry."

2003 Vintage

89 Points and One Puff from Connessieurs Guide to California Wine: "The pure, sweet red cherry fruit of Russian River Pinots captures the heart of this wine, and a generous dollop of rich, caramelly oak fills in behind. The wine has a pleasant touch of velvet in its texture and just enough supporting structure for some needed spine. It needs little time in the cellar and would serve perfectly even now with rich rib roasts."

2002 Vintage

92 Points from The Pinot Report: "Showing both ripeness and a certain Russian River restraint with respect to its slightly tighter structure, this well-fruited working comes with a good dose of nicely rendered, ripe-cherry fruit. It hangs on to that fruit despite elevated acidity and a touch too much heat at the finish, and its persistence should encourage those who would set a few bottles aside for two or three years of softening."

88 Points and One Puff from Connessieurs Guide to California Wine: "Showing both ripeness and a certain Russian River restraint with respect to its slightly tighter structure, this well-fruited working comes with a good dose of nicely rendered, ripe-cherry fruit. It hangs on to that fruit despite elevated acidity and a touch too much heat at the finish, and its persistence should encourage those who would set a few bottles aside for two or three years of softening."

 

family - wines - vineyards - visit us - market place - cherryblock wine club - home - contact us - site index