Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2021 – DeLoach

The grapes to produce the Pinot Noir Russian River Valley DeLoach were crafted using traditional Burgundian techniques: hand sorted then fermented in small vats with manual punch-downs for gentle extraction of tannins. The wine was aged for 15 months in French oak barrels (15% new) to create a complex, multi-layered Pinot Noir.

Sourced from the certified Sonoma Sustainable BCD Vineyard, the sustainably-farmed Heintz Vineyard and the organic and Demeter Certified DeLoach Estate, each of these Russian River Valley vineyards contribute their unique complexities to the final blend. The BCD Vineyard consists of five distinct blocks within the vineyard with soils varying from Huichica clay loam to heavier clay found in some of the lower lying portions of the vineyard. Located in the town of Occidental, the Heintz Vineyard is located in the Green Valley sub AVA and is planted to four distinct clones. The Swan and Pommard clones have traditionally provided a concentrated mouthfeel and earthy characteristics to the wines made from the vineyard, while the 113 and Beringer clones bring more spice and tannic intensity to the wines.

Established in 1973 by Cecil De Loach, a firefighter from San Francisco, DeLoach was purchased by Burgundian Jean-Claude Boisset in 2003. His son Jean-Charles Boisset saw the similarities of the Russian River Valley with his native Burgundy and the potential that the region held for producing fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. One of his first decisions having acquired the estate was to convert the seven hectares of vineyard surrounding the winery to biodynamic farming. Head winemaker Brian Maloney has worked at DeLoach since 2003 and has proved instrumental in evolving DeLoach by continuing to explore different soils across the Russian River Valley and focusing on high-quality, small-lot winemaking.