The Place

Because this wine is a blend of multiple vineyards throughout the Russian River Valley, to discuss the place would require more time than you’d care to spend reading. From higher elevation sites (outside Occidental) to warmer sites (Westside Road), to sites with very deep well-drained sandy soils (valley floor east side of the river, the wine is a composite of many different voices. Our approach to this wine is to try to find a blend that exemplifies what we feel about the Russian River Valley, and how we perceived the voice of each different vintage.

Carri and I love the Russian River Valley- it’s where our two lives became one, it’s where we began as winegrowers, it’s where we learned how to make wine, and where we raised our children (who are now adults). I can't imagine how our lives would have been were it not for the magic of Sonoma County, and the Russian River in particular. The place has a voice, that for us, speaks of the overarching power of nature, that has an undeniable sense of elegance, graciousness, and kindness. Such things may not be tangible, but the voice of this special place is very real, and we think in many ways it is the hallmark of wines that come from here, both our own and those that friends make.

The Wine

As much as we love our single vineyard wines, we’ve always felt that wines blended from multiple vineyards offer a chance to reflect the broader “regional” voice of a vintage, and none have been a bigger part of our story than our Russian River Pinot Noir. While I’d like to think we spend a lot of time and care in assembling those blends every year, I’m pretty sure I spent more time on this blend than any we’ve ever made. I knew it was the last, and I approached it with that in mind.

Blending is about finding profiles that don’t just “work together” - but actually enhance each other. In some ways, the wines going into this blend were very consistent; for example, while I don’t really care about numbers, that pH levels of the finished wines (which are an expression of the strength of acid and shapes the “walls” of mouthfeel) were incredibly uniform, varying from 3.49 to 3.53 across the vineyards from which we made wine in 2022. Nothing I did, just good picking decisions and the cooperation of nature. On the other hand, the flavor and aromatic profiles covered a wonderful spectrum.

So while I spent a lot of time on the blend, it really wasn’t all that hard, and like a wine “making itself”, in many ways this blend made itself. There is more Rochioli fruit than years past (around 36%), and we had the “Petit Cadeaux” to work with (around 12%), but less Saralee’s Vineyard (only 25%), so it started with a much a darker profile. As I worked through the possibilities, the redder flavor profile of the 2022 Rolling Thunder (around 23%) contributed a balance to that darkness I was hoping for. What sealed it though, was a tiny addition of a small amount of The True (about 4%) that just elevated the vibrancy of the whole thing. Cranberry, cherry and floral notes lead to some pretty deep flavors- it’s just wonderful. Incidentally, except for Rochioli, those wines are all pretty much sold out, so this is a last chance to visit them.

I am thrilled with this wine. It hits all the notes I want from a Russian River Pinot; that juxtaposition of richness coupled with the brilliant acid you just don’t get anywhere else. For us, the litmus test has always been whether or not this paired well with food, and if we’ve ever made a so-called “food-friendly” wine, it is this one. Our first pairing was with a stripped-down version of cassoulet (no duck confit), basically some white beans, sausage, pork shoulder and herbs, and they were perfect with each other. Our next bottle was with some grilled King Salmon (so marbled it looked like the Wagyu of Salmon) and grilled veggies, and that too was a fabulous pairing. I think the possibilities are pretty much endless with this.

Will it age? Absolutely. How long? I don’t know – in some ways it reminds me a bit of our 2004, and that one is drinking beautifully at 20 years. I think this could go further, over 25 years, and I hope to be around to test my words. It’s likely the last Russian River Pinot Noir I’ll ever make, so if you’ve enjoyed this wine, you might want to stock up. Only 225 cases made