2015 Helluva Vineyard Pinot Noir - Handley Cellars

Plump bing cherry, pine tree, spiced cranberry. Muddled raspberry, damp undergrowth, tart pomegranate. Brown mushroom and wet leaves, crushed cardamom and powdered nutmeg. Gorgeously expressive Pinot fruit and funk fruit spills strawberry, boysenberry, and forest floor with tremendous nuance and restraint. Pretty lavender and iris complement lovely floral notes before earthy spice and clove appear. Light salinity and a waft of gamy animale are present beneath commingled fruit and earth, showcasing beautifully classic varietal character along with a touch of delightful development. Medium plus in body with high acidity and soft mild tannin. This 2015 Helluva Vineyard Pinot Noir by Handley Cellars is a terrifically complex and delicious Anderson Valley wine.

Family owned Handley Cellars has been farming and making wine on their estate in the northwestern corner of the Anderson Valley since 1982. They remain a modestly sized operation producing around 12,000 cases annually and their focus on quality has never wavered. This bottling, crafted by Handley Cellars using Pinot Noir sourced from the Helluva Vineyard, is an impressive example of what almost 40 years of hard work has accomplished. This wine expresses the world class terroir of the Anderson Valley through the lens of the Pinot Noir grape, and does so in a way that is extraordinarily balanced and characterful. The fruit profile here is textbook and is framed in a wonderful forest-driven earthy package. This is an extremely impressive wine coming from one of California's greatest Pinot Noir strongholds.