Sometimes a year comes along that just does not fit the mold. A committed terroirist prizes a sense of place and often feels a wine is not "proper" if it does not exhibit that. But once in a while, a wine can be so utterly delicious that this short coming is overlooked. Many of the 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs are in this category. Rich, full, and delicious now, but not really representative of the Russian River Valley to me. My belief is that the sense of place will show in time, but right now, it is overshadowed by the sheer voluptuousness of the vintage.

Gorgeous aromas of red berries and cherries with a slight hind of mint. In the mouth, it is amazingly lush, with just enough acid to brighten it. Silky and full, the finish is long and smooth. I predict a bright future for this wine, but it hard to resist!

From the steep hillside planting just to the south of our Estate vineyard. A blend of Swan and Calera selections. Our first vintage from Solas vineyard, 2014, showcases the typical Russian River Valley acidity and bright red fruit characters.

Medium ruby color. Potpouri of red fruits and spice. Medium bodied, medium tannins, excellent acidity. Lush and long. Drinking well now and will appreciate with age.

The grapes that make this wine comes from one of the older blocks in this vineyard. The original plantings were 100% barrel fermented in French oak, aged sur lies with battonage (lees stirring) once a month. Full malolactic fermentation took place. The wine was aged 10 months in Barrel.

The vineyard is highly coveted with numerous winemakers sourcing from here. Everyone gets their own dedicated row (or half as the case may be). However, not all Ritchie Vineyard wines are created equal. Throw in personal preferences with at least one winery picking 2 weeks ahead of everyone else and a couple wineries on the other end of the spectrum. Leads to some very diverse wines. We fall somewhere in the middle.

Bright lemon yellow color. Ripe pear with lemon custard and a hint of mango. Classic Ritchie profile and aromatics are present. Very rich, very full opulence balanced by good acidity. Long, full fruit.

Co-fermented with 5% Viognier. Aged for 18 months in neutral French oak barrels.

Racy, vibrant, violet laced fruit reminiscent of French plums and licorice with a bit of kid leather. Amazing brightness to the fruit. Mouthwatering acidity brings you back for just one more sip. The depth of tannins combined with the vibrant acidity argue for a long life.

This time of year I usually stock up on other wineries rosés. Unfortunately rosé has become the hot new in thing. Gone are the days when pink meant sweet and cloying. Today they are being made from top quality grapes and are generally dry, fun and refreshing. The bad news is that most of the ones I have been buying are made in very small quantities and generally sell out in a matter of weeks if not days. Even though it makes no economic sense to make rosé when red wine made from the same grapes sells for several times what a rosé will sell for, I can’t seem to help myself. This year’s rosé is made from our estate syrah. Part of it was fruit that we drop through thinning a couple of weeks prior to our usual harvest, part of it the entire production of several rows.

Tasting Notes: Salmon pink. Richly aromatic with ripe watermelon and strawberry notes and the faintest hint of spice. In the mouth it is full yet tangy. A wonderful sip alone or serve with apps type of rosé. We held off until the first day of spring to start drinking it but move fast as we plan on opening a lot of corks on this one!