2016 Ladera Pillow Road Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

4.2% alc., 311 cases, $60. Calera, Swan, Dijon 777 and Pommard 4 clones. Small amount of whole cluster, 7-day cold soak, drained without pressing and aged 15 months in French oak barrels, 76% new. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. There is a whack of new oak on the nose producing aromas of campfire embers and vanilla. Plenty of blackberry, boysenberry and dried black current fruit is at the core, framed by pain grille flavor and a beefy note. The tannins are well balanced and the wine strives to please with a plethora of fruit, but it is hard to find a lot of Pinot character under all the oak. Score: 86. Reviewed June 19, 2019

Winery: Ladera Vineyards
From article: Recently Tasted Sonoma County Wines