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Senses, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Other, United States 2018 (750mL)
$60.00
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Senses, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Two years ago, we got in on the ground floor right as Senses exploded into the realm of cultdom, and that irrepressible buzz has not wavered in the face of 2020. Their mailing list has ballooned into the thousands, but for many of those people, “waiting list” is a more accurate description—tiny production and dangerously hot reviews will do that. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that all three Pinots we’ve offered in the past have vanished in a matter of hours. Senses can easily find their wines a good home no matter the platform or purveyor, but since we’ve struck up a rapport with them over the years, they’ve prepared an allocation of their newest ‘18 Russian River release exclusively for us. And yes, it has once again been crafted by critical darling Thomas Rivers Brown, one of the most decorated winemakers in the world.
It’s also worth noting the “secret” single site used for today’s Pinot Noir: Perry Ranch, a time-honored, sustainably farmed vineyard that has provided crops for esteemed labels like Failla, Siduri, and Kosta Browne. I hope our point has been made by now—Senses is a high-class, trending, top-of-the-line Pinot Noir that competes with California’s greatest all-stars. Today is your one-and-only shot to obtain their superbly delicious 2018, a vintage that founder Chris Strieter confirms is “one for the record books.” Get it while you can!
Senses was created at the grassroots level in 2011 when three close-knit childhood friends from Occidental pooled their savings to produce 100 cases by hand: They farmed the grapes, crafted the wine, and began cold-calling and restaurant peddling without any outside help. And this hustle paid off for Christopher Strieter, Max Thieriot, and Myles Lawrence-Briggs: In seven short years, their range has been eagerly accepted by the press and restaurants alike. With the addition of winemaking phenom Thomas Rivers Brown in 2013, who is responsible for crafting wine for superstar labels like Schrader, Maybach, and Rivers-Marie (his own label), their unknown, small-production label has instantly become an underground sensation. 

As mentioned, today’s Russian River Valley Pinot Noir was entirely sourced from Perry Ranch, a site formerly known as Keefer Ranch, which sits in the epicenter of Sonoma’s prime real estate: Green Valley AVA. This 13-acre vineyard was first planted in 1996 and sits on “Goldridge” soil—a unique sandy loam that slowly formed millions of years ago after surfacing from receding seawaters. It’s also one of the colder areas in all of Sonoma due to thick fogs funneled through the Petaluma Gap. This climate can create wines of Burgundian nature, especially when grapes are organically farmed and crafted by an expert winemaker who allows fruit purity and terroir to shine over alcohol and ripeness—like Senses. 

Juxtaposed with the scorching ‘17 vintage, Senses’ 2018 was “a return to normal” that delivered a wonderfully balanced growing season. Their Pinot Noir was hand-harvested at full phenolic ripeness, and the crop was entirely de-stemmed in the cellar. Following a completely natural, ambient-yeast fermentation, the wine aged for just under one year in French oak barrels, 10% new. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

What another spectacular showing from this small, world-class Pinot Noir team! Their Russian River releases have the finesse of Burgundy, but there’s no mistaking the opulent core of ultra-polished forest fruit that pulls you directly into this world-class, northern California terroir. In the glass, a vivid dark ruby core reveals itself with pink/magenta hues around the rim. Given 15-30 minutes in a decanter, gorgeously ripe aromas pour out: Black cherry liqueur, crushed raspberry, wet stones, spiced plums, wild strawberry, Kola nut, red licorice, baking spice, forest floor, and rose petal. The palate is lush and generous, unleashing waves of supple, soft-shouldered tannins, and immensely gratifying acidity with a prickle of mineral savoriness on the finish. Yes, it’s a luxurious wine, but the vibrancy of 2018 really comes through by impressing a sense of refreshment—it’s considered their most approachable Pinot Noir in its youth for a reason! Enjoy over the next 5-7 years in your largest Burgundy stems. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
Other
Sub-Region
United StatesRussian River Valley
Soil
Goldrige (Sandy Loam)
Farming
Certified Organic
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
14.2
OAK
French Barrels, 10% New
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Large Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2025+
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Duck Confit

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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