Pick My Next Bottle – 2016 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

The March Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2016 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. The purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened on Sunday and a Bottle Note will be published early next week.

The 2016 vintage in the Russian River Valley was above average to outstanding. Temperatures moderated in late August and early September allowing the fruit to ripen to perfection. The best wines from the vintage are certainly ready to drink but under ideal conditions will hold up for years to come.

The Contenders:

• 2016 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Altamont – The 2016 Pinot Noir Altamont is a dense, beautifully resonant wine. Next to the Goldridge, the Altamont has quite a bit more textural depth and overall intensity. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, rose petal, mint and blood orange all run through this expressive, pliant Pinot Noir. Today, the 2016 is quite forbidding. I would give it a few years in the cellar to fully come together. The 8% whole clusters add aromatic top notes, but aren’t especially noticeable  94 points from Vinous.
• 2016 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard – Seeing 15% whole clusters and roughly 30-40% new French oak, the 2016 Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard offers a ripe, voluptuous, yet always classy profile, and I wrote ‘classic KB’ in my notes. Blueberries, pomegranates, crushed violets, and blood orange notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied 2016 that has plenty of fruit as well as integrated acidity. 95 points from Jeb Dunnuck.
• 2016 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Olivet Lane Vineyard –  The 2016 Pinot Noir Olivet Lane Vineyard is pale to medium ruby-purple in color and gives up notions of warm plums and baked raspberries with wild blueberries, tilled soil and dark chocolate hints plus a waft of bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied and generously fruited, it fills the palate with juicy black berry flavors supported by plush tannins and finishing with an herbal lift. 290 cases produced. 93 points from the Wine Advocate.

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Thanks for voting! I’d love to see a comment below on why you picked one bottle over another. Also, let me know if you have any suggestions for the April installment of Pick My Next Bottle.