2017 Gunsalus Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

The bouquet has an oyster shell like minerality, with black cherry, macerated strawberries, and an accent of cinnamon and sarsaparilla, quite enticing… The palate is flirty and energetic, soft and lush. Hints of sour cherry, cedar and a whisper of black pepper, lead to a long, silky, smooth finish.

Pamela and Glen Gunsalus (“gun-say-lus”) are always in their vineyard, located on a west-facing slope near Green Valley in the Russian River Valley. These two former researchers have great intuition backed up by scientific rigor and it shows in the quality of their grapes. The Gunsalus vineyard is meticulously cared and sits on well-drained Sebastopol loam and Goldridge sandy loam soils, and produces extremely charismatic wines.