2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

The 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is by far the fullest-bodied wine we've produced from this appellation since our first RRV Pinot in 2009.  The fourth year of drought played a role in how concentrated the wine is, but the coldest and foggiest May in decades also left us with a minuscule crop and intensely-flavored grapes.  The tons per acre were the lowest since 2011 when we had a similarly cool May.  The biggest difference between 2011 and 2015 was that the summer of 2011 was freezing and the summer of 2015 was hot.  We harvested earlier than ever in 2015, with Keefer coming in on September 9 and Graham ending the vintage two days later.  Typically, Keefer and Graham would hang on the vines until the end of September.

With ripe berry flavors and a rich texture, this 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot is one that will last a while in the cellar.  If you decide to drink one soon, you may experience some youthful, trapped CO2 gas in the wine.  The easiest way to soften the wine is to put the cork back in, give the bottle a shake, and take the cork out again.  Within minutes, you'll notice a completely different texture to the wine.  We're predicting the best drinking window to be from 2018 through 2026. 
 

Wine Profile

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