2017 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Russian River Selection Russian River Valley

Gary Farrell winery sources the Pinot Noir for this bottling from a mix of climats in the Russian River Valley, vineyards that see fog, sun, wind, and big diurnal temperature swings. Despite harvest heat spikes in 2017, nearly all fruit came in between 22° and 24.5° Brix. Clusters were hand-sorted, a portion were de-stemmed and put into open-top fermenters, and some whole clusters were added later. The wine was pressed to French oak barrels, one-third new, for ten months of aging.

The result is a pretty raspberry color with a clear rim and a fragrance of bramble fruits, strawberry, lavender, and mint. Texturally the wine earns structure from acidity, while its flavors angle towards flowers and berries with a pink grapefruit finish. Overall it is a cleansing, bright-hearted Pinot that’s refreshing with lighter cuisine. Try it with young goat’s and cow’s milk cheeses, especially bloomy rind, and lighter meats, poultry, and fish. It’s also great with vegan and vegetarian fare, the light texture and juicy acidity a good counterpoint to nuts, beans, dairy, and mushrooms.