August Briggs Pinot Noir 2022, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California

August Briggs Winery is an owner-managed craft producer of small lot and sustainably produced wines showcasing some of Napa and Sonoma’s premier vineyards focused on a restrained winemaking philosophy that highlights wines of provenance, not pretense. The Russian River Valley is now known as one of the premier locations for Pinot Noir on earth, and for good reason. The wines from this appellation consistently show the bright, fruity exuberance of California wine, while displaying some of the haunting nuances of its homeland in Burgundy. Aromas of fresh crushed Bing cherries and baking spices draw you into the glass. Remarkable fullness of ripe cherry and raspberry flavor on the middle palate with hints of cola and spice, carrying over to a fruit-filled finish. Despite its richness, the wine is light on its feet and a delight to drink. As always, this fruit was handled to the same ‘by-hand’ treatment of all our Pinot Noirs. It was destemmed into open top fermenters for daily punch-downs which gently extract the flavor and body. After a gentle pressing the wine was inoculated for malolactic fermentation and barreled down to traditional Burgundian barrels. The barrels used were 20% new French oak and 80% three year old French barrels. The wine was aged in barrel for 9 months.