Give this bottle a chance to air out when you open it and enjoy the rewards of your patience. We’ve got cherry, dry earth, bright fall spice and a bit of stone minerality delivered over racy acidity, with the fruit coming forward in the long spicy finish. A touch of barrel toast adds interest without adding any burnt quality, making this a likely pairing for the rich character of a seared flatiron steak. It’s a little more structured than the regular Russian River bottling, and worthy of 5 to 6 years further aging.
Sonoma-Cutrer, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2012
By Rich Cook