2005 Russian Hill Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

[dananne]

I selected this wine to toast the memory of my beloved 14-year old Siberian Husky who sadly and somewhat unexpectedly passed away on Thursday. We don't have children -- for Anne and me, our "kids" are furry and bark, so it was really a sad night. I figured a Russian Hill wine from the Russian River Valley would be an appropriate choice for a Siberian dog.

We visited the winery in August, and it was a somewhat surpising hit for both of us. They have beautiful views from their hilltop tasting room, and we enjoyed most everything from the flight, from the Pinots to the meaty, cool-climate Syrah, to their crisp, balanced, and refreshing take on my least favorite grape, Chardonnay.

We decanted this 30 minutes before 1st pour. Bright red ruby in color, with a nose of black cherry, cinnamon, and the slightest earthy hint of barnyard. It smelled like a Russian River Valley wine. Lush and textured cherry flavors are dominant, and it's smooth and almost creamy in the mouth, while still having the acidity to keep it focused. It's a wonderful wine, perhaps one of our favorite Pinots we've had at home this year. It was a nice drink to help say goodbye to my "Deri." 14.4% alc. We paid about $35 for it, and it was well worth every penny. We have more of it and other Russian Hill wines in the cellar, and I'll be looking forward to them all.