The Vertical
This selection of three Pinots from our classic line is a great gift for any Pinot lover or wine collector.
2018 Pinot Noir
94 Points, Year's Best US Pinot Noir (2021) - Wine & Spirits
Jeff Pisoni makes this wine for Lester and Linda Schwartz, at the 52-acre vineyard they planted in the 1990s. The elevations range from 1,200 to 1,700 feet on a ridge one mile from the Pacific, the kind of marginal site that excelled in the long, cool vintage of 2018, a season without heat spikes. The cold of the coast and the warmth of the sun generated a pinot noir with transparent red berry flavors and mineral brilliance to the darker tannins, their edges seeming to glint with facets of fruit complexity, reflecting black currants at the underside of ripeness against the brighter, zesty red-fruit flavor. Delicious now with duck rillettes, this is also suited to cellar time. - Joshua Greene
92 Points - Wine Spectator
Intensely fruity and well-structured, with cherry tart, raspberry and wild plum flavors that are filled with minerally freshness. Lithe finish has hints of licorice and slate. Drink now through 2025. - Kim Marcus
2019 "FRV" Pinot Noir
94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Lots of sous bois, sappy herbs, green flowers, and assorted red and slightly darker berry fruits emerge from the 2019 Pinot Noir Fort Ross Vineyard. A medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, balanced Pinot, this is one of the richer, more concentrated wines in the lineup. I like it today, yet I suspect it will develop additional complexity with another year or two of bottle age, and it should have a long life of 10-12 years, if not more.
"9 Stellar West Coast Pinot Noirs to Drink Right Now" - The Robb Report
For this Pinot Noir winemaker Jeff Pisoni chooses grapes grown in single vineyards less than one mile from the Pacific Ocean. His Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir has aromas and flavors of red cherry and cranberry with a touch of Oolong tea and brown baking spices in the back palate. It has rich mouthfeel with silky tannins and a smooth finish.
2021 "FRV" Pinot Noir
92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
A semi-opaque ruby with a light haze, the 2021 Pinot Noir Fort Ross Vineyard is ripe and spicy, with smoky incense, pine, licorice, and black cherry. This full-bodied Pinot packs in loads of ripe blackberries, toasted cedar, and tea leaf with ripe tannins, dusty earth, and a bit of orange peel on the finish. Drink 2024-2030. July 2023