2016 RSM Vineyard Pinot Noir - Handley Cellars

Juicy bing cherry, blooming violet, pomegranate concentrate. Candied strawberry, tilled loam, fresh blueberry. Bright honeysuckle and lavender, damp forest floor and wet leaves. Sweet raspberry, cranberry, and citrus zest explode in a barrage of intensely high-toned aromatics, spilling ethereal and expressive fruit with wonderful complexity and lift. Dense florals immediately contribute to the brilliantly perfumed bouquet bolstered by impressions of cinnamon, vanilla, and well integrated barrel spice. Sauteed portobello mushroom, undergrowth, and pine sap underscore booming fruit with an umami-drenched natural edge that still leaves room for interspersed impressions of sea salt and ocean breeze. Quite succulent and hedonistic yet remarkably lean and balanced, coursing with fresh acidity and medium tannin while squeezing the maximum level of gorgeous fruit and terroir into its medium bodied frame. This 2016 RSM Vineyard Pinot Noir by Handley Cellars is a captivating and outstandingly complex red from the deep end of Anderson Valley.

Located in western Mendocino County just miles from the cold Pacific Ocean, the Anderson Valley has firmly established a reputation as one of California's premier regions for cool climate viticulture. This bottling, crafted by regional stalwart Handley Cellars using Pinot Noir sourced from the RSM Vineyard, is an incredible example of what Anderson Valley's very best sites can produce. While amply ripe and concentrated this wine manages to retain tremendous freshness and lift, and it playfully exudes cool climate tension throughout its nuanced and explosive attack. It is unmistakably Californian yet contains serious Burgundian sensibility, and certainly merits significant attention and admiration. Simply excellent.