Paul Hobbs presents a classic rendering of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. It is a rich yet bright wine that brings together the fruit from some of the region’s best growers. Intense and concentrated, this is the product of a small crop and a long, cool vintage when yields were low and clusters and berries were small.

Hand-harvested fruit, picked at night when a chill hangs in the air, was hand-sorted while still cool from the field. Following a five-day cold soak, the wine was fermented with a small quantity of whole bunches in open-top stainless steel tanks by indigenous yeast. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation occurred after the wine was racked to barrels. The wine was matured in French oak before it was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Showing deep crimson in the glass, this is a wine with an assertive nose of plush aromatics: Morello cherry, mulberry, baking spice, and red clay. The texture is refined and alluring, giving way to focused flavours of boysenberry, bergamot, and iron through a lengthy finish. Fine-grained tannins, fresh acidity, and a velvety mouthfeel add tension and structure. Pair with juniper berry and rosemary marinated venison steaks, served medium-rare.

“Aged 9 months in 33% new French oak barrels, the 2021 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from Paul Hobbs glistens in the glass with a ruby red core and a neon purple rim. About 12% whole cluster is used during fermentation which gives it some lovely structure and added tannins. Spectacular aromas and flavors of dark cherry, crushed black raspberry, baking spice, milk chocolate, and cola tones flow over the palate. Rounded tannins meet the medium plus acidity and full body to create a rich and decadent wine – this is what you would expect from a Russian River Pinot Noir from one of the best winemakers in the state. 7708 cases were made. Highly recommended.”
96 points, J. Young, International Wine Report, March 2023

“The 2021 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) is dense, heady and explosive. All the classic Russian River exuberance comes through, but amplified in all of the good ways and none of the bad. Even with all of the richness and intensity, the 2021 retains good freshness as well as energy. A touch of whole clusters brightens the finish nicely.”
95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, December 2022