J Vineyards Russian River Pinot Noir 2013

Professional Ratings

• 92 Tasting Panel
  It's all about the base: delicious, recognizable Pinot perfume, heady with notes of Gruyere, strawberries and rhubarb. Extroverted espresso-licorice tannins make for a chewy sipper. Each vineyard (five estate vineyards), block and clone was kept separate before blending, for a total of 92 different lots. Aged for nine months in French oak.
• 90 Wine Enthusiast
  Made in a full-bodied style, this estate wine is generous in blackberry, black licorice and dark cherry, with classic cola spice dancing around its edges. Smooth and memorable, it is made from a handful of vineyards, including Nicole’s, Bow Tie and Robert Thomas, all vineyard-designates of their own for the producer.
• 90 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
  The fairest Pinot Noir in the land is more than just an elegant photograph. Well, if you really want to know, I can be drawn to labels and presentation and J Vineyards has always taken me from the harshness of reality to a fantasy where all is good, just like when I am sometimes with my camera in the field. The 2013 Pinot Noir plays with the fire in my heart and it shows candy and flowers in its makeup, then when it enters my palate it takes over and becomes serious and fulfilling, but in the end it returns to a playfulness that can only be satisfied with a candlelight dinner and the most important person in one's life. Oh and by the way, a delectable piece and perfectly grilled salmon would be perfect for a moment like this. Can we call this a Kodak moment? I'll think I'll just call it a Canon 5D, Mark III photo opp. Medium to deep garnet color; candied aroma, with ripe blue fruits; medium bodied, layered and smooth on the palate; ends on a dusty, earthy note with a hint of bittersweet chocolate. This final note keeps it all real. This wine begins with a tease and finishes up as the real thing, a success story in a bottle. (Tasted: December 17, 2015, San Francisco, CA)