Gary Farrell 2016 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley Selection

Beginning in the late 1970s, Gary Farrell was working with seminal Russian River Valley vintners such as Davis Bynum, Joe Rochioli, Tom Dehlinger and Robert Stemmler. He made his first wine under the Gary Farrell label in 1982 and built the winery into one of the most acclaimed producers of small-lot Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in the Russian River Valley.

The tradition lives on under new ownership and the latest release is true to form. The grapes for this Russian River Selection 2016 are sourced from some of the region's top vineyards. The Hop Kiln, Rochioli and Bacigalupi vineyards are located in the Middle Reach subdivision, where close proximity to the river awards foggy mornings, warm and sunny days, and cool nights – the perfect balance that characterizes the Russian River Valley. The Toboni and Nonella vineyards are located in the Santa Rosa Plain, a distinctly cooler and foggier sub-region, and the Hallberg and Dutton sites within the Green Valley sub-appellation exhibit even more extreme and cooler conditions.

Grapes were harvested in the cool morning hours then brought to the winery. After a careful hand sorting, some of the grapes were gently de-stemmed, then transferred to  small,  open-top  tanks  while  a  small  percentage  of  the  fruit  was  added  later  as  whole clusters. The juice for each tank was chilled to 45°F and allowed to cold soak for  4-7  days  before  fermentation  was  started.  During  fermentation,  the  cap  was  gently punched down 2-3 times per day. After fermentation, the new wine and its solids  were  allowed  to  sit  in  tank  for  7-10  days  of  extended  maceration,  a  period  during which the tannins soften and the primary fermentation esters develop more complexity. The wine was then gently pressed off the skins and seeds, inoculated for malolactic fermentation and racked into 35% new French oak barrels (light and medium toast François Frères, Ana Selection,  Remond and Tonnellerie O) for 10 months of barrel aging on primary lees.

Wine Spectator scored this 2016 92 points saying "Powerful, with finely detailed dried apricot, apple and green pear flavors, supported by firm acidity. The broad finish offers buttery notes that are well-integrated with spicy accents. Best from 2020 through 2024."

Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 93 points saying "From a blend of iconic sites, like Rochioli, Hallberg and Martaella, this opens with thick, dense and concentrated tones of dried cherry and cola before unleashing a wealth of white pepper and black tea. It finds a balance between the fruit and the forest elements on the midpalate, finishing in silky brilliance."