The Russian River Valley blend represents the unique characteristics of the appellation that set it apart from other growing regions. This wine is defined by its rich weight and texture and by the dark fruit profile commonly associated with the Russian River Valley. The wine is assembled using select lots from our Westside Road Estate Vineyard as well as selections from the Toboni, Lucky Well, and Mononi Vineyards We use no de-classified wine or “filler” vineyards for this appellation blend. Instead, tthis wine is viewed as a blend of our single vineyard and estate wines and is an excellent survey of the vintage and appellation each year.

Cold grapes arrive at the winery early in the morning after having been picked at night. The clusters are sorted by hand and the majority are destemmed into small, open-top fermenters. In the 2019 vintage, 10-20% whole cluster is used during fermentation. The juice is allowed to warm gradually and naturally in the fermenter. Given that all of the wines are made with native yeasts and are not inoculated, this cold-soak period can vary between 5-8 days depending on how long it takes these native populations to build up and begin fermentation. Pinot Noir fermentations are kept below 85 degrees. The wines always go through malolactic fermentation. The wines then spend the next 11 months in barrel, and the wine is racked clean just prior to bottling

The Russian River Valley Pinot Noir bottling is a wonderful introduction to the Arista portfolio for 2019. The wine really captures the essence of the vintage. Blue and red fruits predominate on the nose, but the presence of a lavender inflected floral component is unmistakable. There is great tension and texture on the palate, with fine grained tannins supporting flavors of fresh pomegranate and tangy wild blackberry. A hint of cola on the long finish speaks to the quality of this vintage, where warm sunny days and cool nights gave rise to perfect ripeness balanced by a gentle yet refreshing acidity.