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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $78.88 $82.80
12 bottles: $78.66
Rated 93 - Mouthfilling, with ripe and lively boysenberry, plum and linzer torte flavors that bounce off each other,...
12 FREE
WS
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $79.94
12 bottles: $78.34
Rated 91 - Offers fresh, focused minerality, with raspberry and cherry flavors that show underbrush and cedar...
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WS
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $58.91 $62.60
Rated 91 - Sports vivid, punchy boysenberry and mulberry fruit, along with a burst of hibiscus throughout, all framed...
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WS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.94
12 bottles: $22.48
The beautiful ruby color of the, 2021 Pinot Noir, in the glass leads to enticing aromas of cherry, chocolate and a...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $27.50
12 bottles: $26.95
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $61.56 $68.40
Rated 95 - The 2021 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) is dense, 9 heady and explosive. All the classic Russian River...
12 FREE
VM
95
WS
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.60
12 bottles: $17.25
Aromas of rose petals, pomegranate and a touch of nutmeg greet the nose. A velvety light body embraces the hints of...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $30.50
12 bottles: $29.89
Aromas of rose petals, pomegranate and a touch of nutmeg greet the nose. A velvety light body embraces the hints of...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.94
12 bottles: $18.56
Aromas of rose petals, pomegranate and a touch of nutmeg greet the nose. A velvety light body embraces the hints of...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.93
12 bottles: $17.57
This Pinot Noir has rich aromas of raspberry jam and brandy-macerated cherries. Its luxurious density and beautiful...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $45.95
12 bottles: $45.03
Soil: Clay and bedrock (reminiscent of schist, shale, granite). Farming: Organic and biodynamic. Vinification: 3-4...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $55.94 $58.20
12 bottles: $54.82
Fiona hill is a meticulously planted, steep hillside vineyard with an ideal southern face, situated in Porter...
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Red
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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $31.94 $32.90
12 bottles: $30.40
Rated 92 - Leads with expressive cherry and blackberry compote notes, while sleek red tea and incense accents run...
WS
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $55.93
12 bottles: $54.81
Rated 91 - The medium ruby colored 2016 Pinot Noir Amber Block Starr Ridge Vineyard opens with scents of earth and...
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WA
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $62.00
12 bottles: $60.76
Rated 90 - This is a complex and introverted vineyard-designate. Sour cherry, pomegranate and rhubarb surround a...
12 FREE
WE
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $45.93 $49.60
Rated 95 - Dark and enveloping, the 2021 Pinot Noir Cuvee Alyce is the richest offering in this lineup. Pouring a...
12 FREE
VM
95
JD
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $41.83 $46.00
Rated 92 - The 2021 Pinot Noir The Estate Vineyards is gracious, elegant and silky. Crushed red/purplish berry fruit,...
VM
92
JD
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $44.64 $49.60
Rated 94 - The 2021 Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard pours a deep yet transparent magenta color and reveals lifted...
JD
94
VM
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $44.90 $49.60
Rated 96 - The 2021 Pinot Noir The South Slope Vineyard is a classic Steven Hansel wine. A rush of dark cherry, plum...
VM
96
JD
92

Pinot Noir United States California Sonoma Valley Russian River Valley

Regularly described as being the grape varietal responsible for producing the world's most romantic wines, Pinot Noir has long been associated with elegance and a broad range of flavors The name means 'black pine' in French, and this is due to the fact that the fruit of this particular varietal is especially dark in color, and hangs in a conical shape, like that of a pine cone. Despite being grown today in almost every wine producing country, Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult grape variety to cultivate. This is because it is especially susceptible to various forms of mold and mildew, and thrives best in steady, cooler climates. However, the quality of the fruit has ensured that wineries and vintners have persevered with the varietal, and new technologies and methods have overcome many of the problems it presents. Alongside this, the wide popularity and enthusiasm for this grape has ensured it will remain a firm favorite amongst wine drinkers for many years to come.

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.

California's beautiful and remarkably fertile Sonoma Valley has grown over the decades to become one of the United States' most respected and profitable wine regions, with wineries within the region benefiting from the superb Californian sunshine, low rainfall and wonderfully rich soils. Because of this vital combination of excellent conditions, the region is able to grow a wide range of grape varietals for use in the production of an impressive array of wines, with many different red and white wine grapes flourishing each year and producing excellent and characterful results. The soils have been enriched by volcanic activity, and the presence of geothermal springs, which make this region a unique one, and very much the beating heart of California's ever growing wine industry.

Of all the wine producing regions in California, Sonoma County is one of the most highly regarded, having had a long and fruitful history which has helped shape the American wine industry. Within Sonoma County, we find the AVA of Russian River Valley, a beautiful viticultural area centred around the Russian river, and responsible for around one sixth of Sonoma’s high quality wine production. The vineyards of the region were first planted some two hundred years ago by immigrant communities coming over to California. At first, the vines planted here were generally for private consumption - a reminder of home gardens in Spain and Italy - but by the beginning of the twentieth century, business was booming with a couple of hundred wineries in operation, thanks to the unique nature of the terroir and the effectiveness with which the grapes were growing.

The Russian River Valley is renowned worldwide for the character and quality of its wines, which are the result of the region’s perfect, cool climate, which is affected by the Pacific fog which rolls in over the valley. This coolness tempers the strong sunshine of the area, and allows for a longer, slower ripening season - thus adding character and expression to the grape varietals which grow there. The main vines grown in Russian River Valley are cool climate grapes - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - which make up for over forty percent of the grapes grown there. The hillier parts of Russian River Valley have had great success with Syrah and Zinfandel, and other parts of the region are experimenting successful with Bordeaux grapes, too.