2009 Arista Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.3% alc., pH 3.82, TA .52, 106 cases, $58. Released spring 2011. Plantings date from the early 1960s with cuttings from Carl Wente in the Livermore Valley. 2 tons of old Wente Selection and 2 tons of Pommard clone Pinot Noir. Aged in 17% new, 33% 1-year-old, and 50% 2-3-year-old French oak barrels. · Moderately light reddish-purple color in the glass. Haunting aromas of cherry pie filling, damp earth and stem. As typical with this vineyard, the cherry fruit has a mild herbal, tar and tobacco riff. Soft and elegant in the mouth with fine-grain powdery tannins. A unique expression of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Good (+). Reviewed August 13, 2011

Winery: Arista Winery
From article: Arista Winery: Now A Member of the Westside Road Elite