Hamilton Russell Vineyards Bramble Hill Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Hamilton Russell Vineyards in South Africa has developed an international reputation over 40 vintages for unusually restrained, classically styled Pinot noir, with deep structure and spice balancing fruit opulence. Hamilton Russell Oregon aims to express this stylistic philosophy with the very best Willamette Valley fruit - showcasing the restrained, structured classicism of great European Pinot noir and the bright purity of Oregon fruit. The celebrated Bramble Hill vineyard in Ribbon Ridge, delivers a particularly bright, pure, lively minerality to complement the complex lifted fruit the best Oregon Pinot noir is known for.
Review:
Limpid ruby-red. Fresh red berries, blood orange, floral and baking spice qualities on the incisive nose. Juicy, focused and lithe on the palate, offering subtly sweet raspberry and cherry flavors and building spicecake and cola nuances. Closes long and nervy, with discreet tannins framing repeating floral and spice notes.
-Vinous 93 Points
The Stone Corral Vineyard is planted on a southeast slope on the west side of the Edna Valley which has an east/west orientation opening up to the Pacific Ocean from Morro Bay and Pismo Beach. Approximately 120 to 300 feet above sea level, the climate is strongly influenced by the ocean providing ideal temperate growing conditions for Pinot Noir. Early spring warming, mild summer temperatures and late arriving cold fall temperatures and rain provide a long growing season for the development of rich color, concentrated and complex flavors. Soil profiles vary between blocks from sand, sandy loam, loamy sand, pebbly sandy clay loam, all fine angular blocky , including decomposing sandstone layers and numerous fossil rocks. The soils are well drained and marine in origin, resulting in an elegant Pinot Noir with extraordinary attributes.
This gem is a blend of a few precious, select barrels hailing from the finest blocks of Stone Corral Vineyard. Offers blue-toned fruit on the nose and a pretty bouquet of black raspberry, sandstone, marzipan and wild lupine flowers. Opulent, yet delicate on the palate, with velvety layers of cola nut, cherry, dried herbs and pecan sandie cookies.
Wine analysis – 13.7% Alcohol, .69 TA, 3.5pH
- A barrel select Stone Corral Vineyard bottling, utilizing the finest blocks and clones of the 2013 vintage
- Blend of clones 115, 777 and 667 on 101-14 and 3309 rootstalks
- Hand harvested, cold fruit from night picks during the month of September 2013
- Yield about 2 tons per acre between 23.8 and 24.5 ° Brix
- Destemmed with nearly 100 % whole berries remaining
- Fermented in small open top tanks
- 4 day cold soak, average 14 day fermentation, peak temperature 83°
- Hand punched down several times daily as needed
- Pressed off just dry, tank settled then racked to barrels
- Aged in small French oak barrels for 18 months
- Once the fresh wine is transferred from the press pan, all moving of the wine is done with inert gas pressure.
When handling the wine, care is taken at all opportunities to avoid shear.
"This bottling comes from the best blocks and barrels from this single vineyard, co-owned by a number of Edna Valley luminaries. The result is stunning, with baked raspberry, strawberry, maple, and peppery bacon aromas comprising a spicy, exotic nose. Black plum fruit melds with white pepper and crushed herbs, diving into tangy strawberry and sandalwood incense notes on the finish. - Matt Kettmann"
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (April 1st 2017), 95 pts
Loring Cooper Jaxon Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir
Aged 10 Months in French Oak (15% New)
A special blend in honor of Cooper Jaxon Loring - the next generation of Loring. We don't limit the wine to any
specific AVA, but rather look for a blend that is big, bold, and super tasty!
Juicy and vibrant, with aromas of raspberry puree, blackberry and spring flowers.
Vines are planted on Arroyo Seco Sandy Loam soils on the following vineyard sites: Rancho La Viña, Kessler-Haak, Clos Pepe, John Sebastiano, Aubaine, Rosella's and Sierra Mar.
Vinification is traditionnal with minimal intervention.
Wine went thought Malo-Lactic fermentation and was bottled without filtration.
pH 3.61
Clones: Pisoni, 113, 115, 667, 777, 23
Pairs well with steak and lamb, spicy foods & mild cheeses.
Review:
"This fun and whimsical label from Brian Loring delivers his rich style of Pinot Noir at an affordable price, offering aromas of black cherry, forest herbs, damp sage and crushed slate. The palate is earthy, offering flavors of dark berry, fennel frond, roasted meat and clove. Matt Kettmann"
- Wine Enthusiast (June 2019), 92 pts - Editors' Choice
Sokol Blosser 'Orchard Block' Pinot Noir 2021 is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
VINTAGE HIGHLIGHTS
2021 was the 2nd warmest growing season we have ever seen since 2015. We also got to add a new term to the dictionary: "Heat Dome". Three straight days of triple digit temperatures in late June breaking heat records for the Willamette Valley. Bud break started like usual in the middle of April. We had the driest March through May that the Willamette Valley has seen through 128 years of record keeping! Bloom also appeared on time in early/mid June. While late June brought the “Heat Dome”, our grapes made it through thanks to bloom being finished at all our sites and there still being soil moisture, so they grew like crazy over those three days of hellish temperatures. While July and August turned out to be exceedingly hot and dry, September arrived with little rain which that allowed us to fully ripen the grapes. The hot and dry summer made for fruit that was extremely clean, resulting in excellent fermentations. All in all, mother nature gave us something to be grateful for on our 50th anniversary.
WINEMAKING
The grapes were carefully hand harvested from the Orchard Block (on our Estate vineyard) on September 25th. The fruit was hand sorted to remove any flawed bunches and de-stemmed, half went directly into 3-ton stainless steel fermenters and the other half went in to oak upright fermenters. Fermentation took place over 10-14 days using ambient yeast with punchdowns for cap management. After the long, cool fermentation, the wine was pressed off at dryness and then barrel aged for 16 months in 100% French oak barrels with 17% new oak.
WINE PROFILE
Our 2021 Orchard Block Estate Pinot Noir has bright notes of red cherry, red currant, and a touch of nutmeg on the nose. On the palate, the fruit continues with red cherry, raspberry, and red currants followed by a subtle hint of clove. This is a delicate Pinot Noir with bright acidity with a medium finish.
PAIRINGS
Orchard Block Pinot Noir pairs with a classic roasted turkey, creamy cacio e pepe, and the Oregon favorite, wild mushroom risotto.
Review:
Powerful floral aromatics as violets introduce deep blue fruits, forest floor, and a note of iodine. This old 2.5ha plum and cherry orchard produces wines of depth, elegance and restrained power. The palate is lushly fruited with ripe red raspberries, clove and turned earth. The finish is elegant and long-lived.
Decanter 93 Points
Sokol Blosser Big Tree Block Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
1970 was winding down when our founders, Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser pulled their ’68 VW Camper up to an abandoned prune orchard some 30 miles southwest of Portland. These moonstruck kids had little farming experience and just a basic knowledge of winemaking. What they did have, in abundance, was a passion for growing the Pinot Noir grape and creating world-class wine. Soon after settling on this extraordinary land, they planted their first vines and cinched their place as pioneers in Oregon’s budding wine industry.
Review:
A very impressive wine for the striking sense of spice, white-pepper and briary, forest notes, across red cherries. The palate has sapid, focused style with such taut yet silky tannins holding long and true. Pure red cherries here. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Ancien Pinot Noir Fiddlestix is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Fiddlestix Vineyard is located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, which straddle the Santa Ynez River as it makes its way to the Pacific Ocean. As an East-West oriented valley, opening its mouth to the cool Pacific breezes, the consistent and cooling marine influence is significant. The vineyard is managed and owned in partnership by Kathy Joseph, who has planted an array of clones and rootstocks on several, varied soils to create a staggering level of diversity from this single vineyard. The remarkably consistent weather, characterized by lower highs and higher lows than our North Coast vineyards, conspires with silica-laden, marine sedimentary soils to make wines of power and exceptional structure.
Fiddlestix always presents a bold Pinot Noir with notes of fruit and exotic spice. As the vines have aged, we noticed more and more underlying depth (they now are approaching their 25th vintage). The nose greets with notes of cassis, Indian spice, and hints of incense. Fresh dark fruits lead the palate, and the focus settles on ripe flavors of blackberry and currants spiced with peppercorn/allspice. Velvety and softly chewy tannins emphasize structure, while ever-present acidity balances and brightens. The spicy aromatics and flavors continue through the long finish.
Argot Pinot Noir Sonoma County is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Everything you have come to expect from an Argot Pinot Noir, shone through the filter of a textbook-perfect vintage. We simply can not get over the quality of fruit this wine displays! Intense, yet fresh; fruity, yet spicy; brambly, yet juicy; immediate, yet lingering. A Pinot Noir that displays the variety’s natural come-hither attitude, while succinctly capturing its intriguing nature. There are not enough superlatives to describe this wine. Almost too easy to love!
VINEYARD Multiple vineyards throughout Sonoma County, including both valley floor and high-elevation hillside sites
PRODUCTION 600 cases
VARIETAL 100% Pinot Noir
CRUSH Night harvested by hand beginning in mid-September, concluding at our coolest sit on October 13. Cluster and berry sorted by hand, de-stemmed, no crushing
FERMENT 7-day cold soaks, followed by native fermentation in open-top containers, with the grapes fermenting on their skins for an average time of 14 days.
AGING 16 months, French oak barrels, 7% new, remainder once-used. Never racked prior to bottling. Bottled un-fined, unfiltered.
NOTES Singularly great. 2018 was an all-time vintage for California’s North Coast, achieving rarely before experienced heights. A mild summer gave way to Autumnal perfection, allowing cooler areas the opportunity to ripen their crop while chemistries remained perfect. What arrives in bottle is nothing short of a pinnacle representation of Sonoma County Pinot Noir — profound depth of pure, red Pinot Noir fruits, caressing textures balanced by deep minerality and a quenching acidity.
Bydand Pinot Noir Umino Vineyard is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
This small, sustainably farmed vineyard perches on a south-facing ridge in the Sebastopol Hills area of the esteemed Russian River Valley AVA, and has produced exceptional Pinot Noir for Bydand since their first vintage. Third-generation farmer David Umino rejected early assessments that the site was too cool for viticulture, and planted Pinot Noir there in 1996. The cold maritime winds in fact help to modulate ripening, and protect the grape’s natural purity and balance - resulting in fruit-driven wines with expressive red fruit and dark berry flavors, balanced with crushed rock and mouth-watering freshness. Velvety tannins coat the palate, providing an alluring and persistent finish.
This site combines the best of the earthy west Sonoma Coast and well-fruited Russian River.
Fullerton Lichtenwalter Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir - 10 years old
12 months in 100% neutral French Oak
On the western slope of the south-facing Ribbon Ridge sits the lovely Lichtenwalter Vineyard. Here Willakenzie soils, derived from ancient sedimentary seabed, coax black fruits and concentrated spices out of the wines.
Aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, blackberry, and black cherry with concentrated spices followed by hints of sandalwood, smoke and oolong tea. Depth in the mid-palate pairs with balanced acidity, and so, yet structured tannins. The Willamee Valley’s smallest AVA speaks clearly and compellingly through this wine.
This wine comes from 100% destemmed rotator barrels fermented at ambient temperature reaching a peak temperature of 73° F. The rotator barrel spun twice daily during fermentation yielding a gentle extraction. Aer fermentation, the wine went through a three-week extended maceration, allowing the tannins to polymerize, soening the wine. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels and three months in tank, the wine was then boled aer filtration.
Review:
"Deep, brilliant red. Smoke-accented cherry, blackberry and violet scents show very good clarity and pick up a hint of spiciness with air. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering appealingly sweet dark berry and spicecake flavors that are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Dusty tannins build steadily on an impressively long, penetrating finish that strongly echoes the cherry and floral notes. (all de-stemmed fruit and all neutral French oak, made entirely from the 777 Dijon clone°. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (June 2019), 92 pts
This mountain grown wine shows expresses ripe fruits of the warm days and the acid balance from the cool nights. Vibrant fruit aromas of blueberry, raspberry, and plum are the hallmarks of the aromatics along with a subtle cedar/cigar box note. These aromatics lead into voluptuous flavors of berries and spice in this structured, yet lively Pinot Noir.
In the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County the local residents speak an obscure dialect of English known as Boontling, developed in the late 1800s. The “Muldune Trail” was a term used in Anderson Valley lore o¬en describing the road traversing the ridge to Ukiah. There are other definitions of hitting the “Muldune Trail” that we will leave to the drinker to discover!
Review:
Pouring a deep ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail is more extracted with kirsch, polished leather, lavender, and pine. Full-bodied, this is the most powerful wine in this lineup, while having a luxurious feel, a velvety texture, and plushness throughout. Offering notes of turned soil and wooded earth, with meaty berry fruit and black tea, it’s a substantial wine but is well-made. Drink 2025-2040.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
La Crema Fog Veil Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
A lush, earthy, and balanced Pinot Noir from select estate vineyards in California's famous Russian River Valley. This red wine opens with aromas of wild strawberry, blackberry, and cardamom. Flavors of boysenberry, raspberry, and sassafras with hints of baking spice. Soft tannins are balanced by vibrant acidity. This Red Wine has a Cork closure. Alcohol Content: 14.8% Pair with grilled filet mignon, bacon wrapped pork tenderloin and camembert. Aromas of wild strawberry, blackberry, and cardamom. Flavors of boysenberry, raspberry, and sassafras with hints of baking spice. Soft tannins are balanced by vibrant acidity.
Review:
Tremendous energy is conveyed through a guiding light of spiced cher- rywood and notes of tea leaves and flint. Rich and concentrated, with a hint of smoked cedar on the finish. The grapes come from neighboring estate vineyards in the Santa Rosa Plains region of the Russian River Valley.
-Tasting Panel 94 Points
Orin Swift 'Slander' Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Staying humble and letting the grapes do the talking is how we get better at winemaking every vintage. Pinot Noir requires even more humility, especially in the vineyards – when the grapes are ready, they’re ready. Requiring a gentler approach with punchdowns rather than pumpovers, Pinot Noir expresses itself when it is lead manipulated. Slander is the union of California Pinot Noir made in the Orin Swift signature style delivering a bold and expressive wine.
There are several fantastic growing regions in California bes t suited to Pinot Noir—from down in Santa Barbara County to up north in the Anderson Valley to everywhere in between. We’ve been fortunate to source Pinot Noir from across the state in many of these ideal locales for years . Finnick y, sensitive and with lots of personality, the varietal requires a long growing season and relatively mild weather to ripen and develop its beautiful flavors , all while retaining its brightness . Sourced from the Rancho Real, Annapolis, Del Rio, Laguna and a few other vineyards, this vintage of Slander is an example of the sum being greater than its parts. WINEMAKER’S NOT
The 2022 Slander delivers a medium ruby core with a lucid rim that-s almost translucent. Aromatically, Bing cherry, briar fruit and some raspberry give way to ripe strawberry and associated red fruits. Bright and enveloping on the entry, notes of fresh strawberry, watermelon, thyme and a hint of funk come through. Spicy on the finish, the wine closes with a flash of blue fruits and lift.
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Rubus Reserve Pinot Noir is sourced from Carneros, Napa Valley. It shows complexity with raspberry and cherry notes that dance on the tongue.
Siegel Gran Reserva Pinot Noir Leyda is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The grapes for the Gran Reserva wines are the product of a careful selection of Siegel's best vineyards in the Colchagua Valley, harvested by hand, and revealing a strong expression of the land.
Our Gran Reserva wines represent the union of tradition and innovation in two generations. The grapes are sourced through careful selection of our best vineyards. Siegel Gran Reserva Pinot Noir is coming from Leyda Valley.
This Pinot Noir shows a light red color, aromas of roses and fresh fruits such as strawberry and cherry. The wine presents soft tannins and good acidity.
Salmon, light pasta dishes, and salads.
Siegel Gran Reserva Pinot Noir Leyda is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The grapes for the Gran Reserva wines are the product of a careful selection of Siegel's best vineyards in the Colchagua Valley, harvested by hand, and revealing a strong expression of the land.
Our Gran Reserva wines represent the union of tradition and innovation in two generations. The grapes are sourced through careful selection of our best vineyards. Siegel Gran Reserva Pinot Noir is coming from Leyda Valley.
This Pinot Noir shows a light red color, aromas of roses and fresh fruits such as strawberry and cherry. The wine presents soft tannins and good acidity.
Salmon, light pasta dishes, and salads.
Solomon Hills Estate Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Solomon Hills Pinot Noir is always distinctive and singular in its ability to harness the Coastal influence of Santa Maria Valley. Earth tones alongside briar bush and blueberries contrast aromas of forest floor and fired red clay. The noticeable savory elements of cracked black pepper and teriyaki beef nicely balance ripe cherries and blackberries on the palate.
Review:
I loved the bouquet of the 2021 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills, a light ruby-hued effort with perfumed darker cherry, mulberry, leafy herb, and smoked earth nuances. It's medium-bodied, has a layered, seamless texture, integrated tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's absolutely brilliant. Enjoy bottles over the coming decade or more.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
Sonoma Bench Pinot Noir comes entirely from the heart of the Russian River Valley, and Green Valley AVA situated on Burnside Rd.
This Pinot Noir shows a deep ruby/garnet red color. The aromas are fresh with raspberry, red fruits with a soft earthy tone. There are vanilla notes from French oak barrel aging. The pallet is lush with roundness, texture, and fruit purity. Tannins are balanced and the finish is firm and refreshing. The length of the wine is elegant and shows harmony and textural balance. 2021 was an exceptionally short harvest in Russian River Valley.
Enjoy now or cellar for 3-5 years,
The Prisoner Wine Company Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
From the most recognized Napa Valley red blend comes a bold, new wine. Made in the same iconic style as The Prisoner Red Blend, we proudly introduce The Prisoner Pinot Noir. Redefining taste once again.
A mix of Russian River and Carneros AVAs produces this classic Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with notes of ripe cranberry, pomegranate, and cherry with clove spice. The palate is driven by rhubarb and cherry with an underlying minerality and spice, which culminates with soft tannins and an elegant, balanced acidity.
Chef Brett recommends pairing The Prisoner Pinot Noir with Mushroom Risotto or Grilled Salmon.
Trione Pinot Noir River Road Ranch is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
River Road Ranch encompasses 115 acres in the heart of the Russian River Valley appellation. Located on the western bench of the Santa Rosa Plain, the vineyard thrives in well-drained soils. The region's fog-cooled nights are ideal for this varietal.
This Pinot Noir presents aromas of dark cherry, exotic spice, green tea and a slight earthiness we call forest floor. The wine is silky on the palate, beautifully balanced, with a long finish. The Pinot Noir's firm structure suggests excellent aging potential, 10-15 years.
We made this Pinot Noir in small lots, using traditional techniques —fermenting in open-top tanks and hand-plunging the caps during primary fermentation. To accentuate the outstanding fruit flavors, we added 20% whole clusters to the each fermenter. The Pinot Noir aged twelve months in French oak barrels (40% new) from coopers Meyrieux Traditional House and Remond.
Review:
"A savory and mossy pinot noir with racy berries, licorice and ash. Some coca cola, too. This is deep and decadent with some dried roses and wet earth on the palate and some darker fruit and herbs in the lengthy finish. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (June 2022), 92 pts
Trione Pinot Noir River Road Ranch is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
River Road Ranch encompasses 115 acres in the heart of the Russian River Valley appellation. Located on the western bench of the Santa Rosa Plain, the vineyard thrives in well-drained soils. The region's fog-cooled nights are ideal for this varietal.
This Pinot Noir presents aromas of dark cherry, exotic spice, green tea and a slight earthiness we call forest floor. The wine is silky on the palate, beautifully balanced, with a long finish. The Pinot Noir's firm structure suggests excellent aging potential, 10-15 years.
We made this Pinot Noir in small lots, using traditional techniques —fermenting in open-top tanks and hand-plunging the caps during primary fermentation. To accentuate the outstanding fruit flavors, we added 20% whole clusters to the each fermenter. The Pinot Noir aged twelve months in French oak barrels (40% new) from coopers Meyrieux Traditional House and Remond.
Alain de la Treille Pinot Noir is beautifully balanced with an elegant ruby robe. The mouth is velvety with black cherry aromas.
Average age of the vines: 25 years.
Classic red vinification and Maturation in stainless steel vats.
Malolactic fermentation.
Wine is filtered before bottling.
It delights those who prefer drinking red wine with fish and is an ideal partner with charcuterie, white meats and mild cheeses.
The Special Club concept started in 1971. A dozen wine growers from some old families of Champagne had an idea to familiarize people with the originality of the “Champagne de Vigneron” (Champagne of wine grower), thanks to prestigious vintages.
In the beginning, they created an association called the “Club des Viticulteurs Champenois” and chose a bottle with a special shape, created exclusively for them & used only by then. In 1988, they changed the bottle and the label. In 1999, the Club changed its name to “Club Trésor of Champagne.”
The Club Trésors comprises 28 artisan wine makers, selected from the finest areas of the Champagne region, each one recognized for the quality of their work. The Club Trésors is the only organization in Champagne to select its members according to a set of unrelenting quality standards:
Roland Champion's Special Club selection has rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.
Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
Sticky plum jam and spicy nutmeg aromas are alluringly prominent on the nose, whilst berries and mocha weave
and envelop your entire palate. The finish is incredibly smooth and silky, with elegant fruit flavors that linger in your mouth. An outstanding example of a perfectly balanced Shiraz from McLaren Vale.
Review:
The stunning 2022 ‘The Velvet Glove’ is a stunning wine coming from the Gateway Vineyard in McLaren Vale. Stored in all new American oak barrels before bottling, this delivers a glassstaining purple, with blueberry pie and boysenberry cordial notes alongside tar, anise, Cuban cigar and suggestions of Black Forest cake on the nose. The absolutely gorgeous aromatics bring you back to the glass for more hedonistic pleasure. This is obviously big, bold and heady, but has remarkable freshness and seamless texture. This is very weightless stuff that will have a long life ahead of it. But why wait?
-Owen Bargreen 99 Points