Wine Last Sold on: September 21, 2012
Deerfield Ranch Winery
Featured Wine:
2009 Russian River Pinot Noir
| Varietal: | Pinot Noir |
| Region: | California: Russian River Valley (Sonoma) |
| Availability: | Very Limited |
| Avg. Price: | $48.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $36.00 |
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SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
We only showcase wines that we love. While our emphasis is on quality first, every now and again we come across a real standout wine that rises above. When we do, we issue alerts like this one.
SUPER QPR ALERT:
At today’s special Wine Spies price, this wine delivers tremendous value - and a drinking experience that exceeds expectations, easily earning it this special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
Mission Codename: The Purple Dress
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Return to Deerfield Ranch Winery, a long standing Wine Spies favorite, and secure an ample allotment of their newest Pinot Noir - for our thirsty, Pinot-loving Operatives.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Robert Rex
Final Assessment
Highly Recommended, today’s 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, from our dear friends at *Deerfield Ranch Winery**, is a balanced California meets Burgundy delight!
Supple, layered, flavor-filled and very aromatic, today’s wine transports the drinker to Burgundy. If Burgundy were in the Russian River Valley. Or is it the other way around? The point we are trying to make here, is that this wine finds a delightful balance between the best that both of these two distinct Pinot-producing worlds have to offer.
A tad shy, at first, the wine comes alive after thirty or more minutes of decanting - or a bunch of hearty, in the glass swirling. Enjoy now, or cellat this food-friendly wine for the next several years.
Tasting Profile
Garnet coloration, from the slightly darker core out the wine, out to its pale brackish edge. Tightly spaced, skinny legs fall from high on the glass wall after a hearty swirl.
Lush and layered, with candied black cherry, blackberry, dusty bramble, ripe strawberry in the lead. As the wine airs, it begins to reveal follow-on aromas of pink peppercorn, tilled soil, supple leather and cranberry.
Initially soft and light, the wine becomes quickly grippy, digging in first at the tip of the tongue. A dark mineral dryness spreads from the edges of the palate, inward.
Dark cherry, underripe blackberry, dark chocolate and espresso bean are well out in front. Decant for thirty minutes or more and flavors come alive. Additional flavors also emerge, including smoky raspberry, subtle cigar box, brown tobacco leaf and dried cranberry.
Long and bright, with loads of tart fruit that lead to darker, earthen favors and black pepper. As the flavors fade, a soft dryness spreads throughout the palate, beginning at the tip of the tongue and working rearward.
What the Winery Says
Pinot Noir is not a guy with big biceps. It’s a girl in a pretty dress. Pinot should be delicate, perfumed, reserved, smooth on the edges and haunting on the mind. We think we’ve captured that essence.
The Russian River Valley is ideal for this delicate grape with its cold mornings and warm days. The 2009 vintage gave us a very cool summer and the Pinot loved it. The new winet reached adolescence in the cave, inside the best French barrels experience can buy. It is young, so wait for it to develop in your glass.
- Awards
- Silver Award: – 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Residual Sugar
- 0.02%
- Elevage
- 500 cases bottled April 2011
- SO2 at release
- less than 12 ppm
Organically made and bottled.
About the Winery
Deerfield Ranch Winery is an award-winning winery located in the heart of the Sonoma Valley at Kenwood. We specialize in small lots of handmade wine from select Northern California vineyards. Currently we have 17 vineyards under contract and make as many as 40 separate lots of wine from those vineyards.
We make several wine varietals and blends, something for everyone, a wine for every occasion Production lots vary from 250 cases to 1000 cases. We will produce about 8,000 cases in 2005, and plan to grow to a maximum of 25,000 cases per year in our New Winery.
