2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

HOLD
DRINK
2018-2025 OPTIMAL DRINKING WINDOW
Russian River Valley Appellation Blend
RELEASE PRICE $55 Past Release

Winemakers Notes

Red cherry, strawberry confiture, and faded rose petal aromas seem to sing in the top registers in this alluring offering. Hints of beet root, dried herbs and wood […]

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Technical Notes

TA 0.60 g/100mL
pH 3.51
Alc. 14.1%
Sugar residual sugars...
Barrel Description 45% new, 55% 1 yr.
Barrel Aged 11 months
Technical Notes PDF

Winemakers Notes

Red cherry, strawberry confiture, and faded rose petal aromas seem to sing in the top registers in this alluring offering. Hints of beet root, dried herbs and wood spices offer some bass notes to complete this wonderful orchestral suite. With air, the aromas intensify with notes of Morello cherry. The palate is very dense on entry with a strong streak of minerality through to the finish. The tannins are extremely fine grained and reminiscent of Ceylon tea. The 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is a classic, and highlights the elegance and power of a truly great growing region.

Harvest Notes

The 2015 vintage continues the hit parade of great quality vintages of the last four years. The season started under extreme drought conditions for the 4th consecutive season despite a wet early winter. January was very dry and warm and brought bud break earlier than expected by about 12 days compared to 2014. The rains returned in early February and dramatically slowed down the growth of the plants. May temperatures were some of the coldest on record and negatively impacted flowering and therefore fruit set. It was common for clusters to have millerandage, or a “hens and chicks” (big berry, little berry) phenotype, great for wine quality but severely limited yields. By the end of July the heat returned and, coupled with limited fog intrusion, the ripening process sped along quickly. In fact, harvest started on the last day of July…the earliest on record in the 36 vintages at Williams Selyem! Despite an auspicious start and a dramatic finish to the season, the 2015 wines may surpass some of the great recent vintages as they are bold and yet maintain their trueness to site. With superb color, structure and acidity, the wines have staying power, but with the wonderful texture and richness that are expressed today, who can resist them now?

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