Gary Farrell, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2012

 In her short tenure as winemaker at Freestone, Theresa Heredia established a laudable track record, producing sensational wines that navigated the delicate balance between too much ripeness and too little. Her wines were structured and elegant, swimming against the tide of conventional wisdom that assumed the bigger and riper was always better. She has carried that philosophy over to Gary Farrell. This "Russian River Selection" Pinot Noir is what amounts to Gary Farrell’s entry level Pinot, yet it shines. Wonderful aromas of raspberry and strawberry fill the glass. On the palate the wine is suave and sophisticated, with exceptional acid-sugar-alcohol balance. Then there is the forest-floor earthiness. All in all a superb Russian River Pinot Noir at a fair price.