Medium ruby color; black cherry, dark plum, raspberry, strawberry, cinnamon, toasty oak, chocolate, vanilla, leather, smoke, earth, pepper on the nose and palate.
Dry; simple, smooth, low tannin; moderate balancing acidity (3.71 pH). Soft in the mouth, pepper adds some flair on the finish. Full body for a pinot noir. Heavy on the oak with very ripe fruit, giving this a sensation of sweetness. The wine spent 12 months finishing in a mix of new and used French oak barrels. 14.5% ABV
The Russian River Valley in Sonoma County gets its name from Russian fur traders who explored the area and established Fort Ross in 1812. European settlers arrived in the 1850s, drawn to the fertile land as part of the California gold rush. The early farmers planted apple trees, wheat, and oats. Wine vine planting started in the 1870s. By the 1890s, there were some 250 growers farming 6,000 acres and producing more than a million gallons of wine each year.
The phylloxera epidemic, Prohibition, and the Great Depression ravaged the Russian River wine business. It did not revive until the late 1960s and early 1970s. Growers particularly focused on pinot noir and chardonnay, taking advantage of the cooler climate engendered by the nearby Pacific and the cool fogs of night and early morning, producing impressive diurnal shifts. The Russian River Valley was recognized as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1983.
Today, the Russian River Valley is renowned for its production of pinot noir and chardonnay. Compared to pinot noir from the Willamette Valley—the other great pinot noir region of the West Coast, the Russian River Valley pinots are riper and more full-bodied with higher alcohol, soft acidity, and silky tannins. Generally Russian River Valley pinots are riper, richer, and more opulent. Willamette Valley pinots are lighter, more delicate with more acidity, lower alcohol, and more assertive tannins. Juggernaut’s effort certainly tracks with this generalization.
Juggernaut Wines Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2020: Simple, accessible, value-priced easy drinker. Ripe, rich dark fruits and oak predominate, with some nuances. Relatively heavy and one-dimensional for a Russian River Valley pinot, but this is attractive at this price—you can have two bottles of this for the price of one bottle of higher-shelf RRV pours. Pair with veal; pork, including barbecue; baked chicken, duck, quail; grilled salmon; mushrooms—roasted portobello, mushroom risotto; beef, but not enough tannin to run with well-marbled cuts; weekday comfort food—pizza, burgers and sliders, meatloaf, mac and cheese, beef stew, lasagna, light pasta dishes. Cheese—camembert, fontina, gruyère, mushroom brie, aged cheddar, humboldt fog. $16-19