2021 KANZLER RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR In 1996, the Kanzler family was the first to plant vineyards in the chilly Sebastopol Hills in western Sonoma County, just eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. Steve Kanzler immersed himself in viticulture, taking classes at UC Davis, and sought advice from neighbors, winemakers, vineyard managers, and soil experts all around the county to perfect his knowledge and understanding of grape growing. Kanzler's Vineyard has a legacy highlighted by Pinot Noir icons Lynmar, Rivers-Marie, and Kosta Browne, who've all produced a single-vineyard Pinot from Kanzler for around 20 consecutive vintages, ranking among their best wines produced. Striving to create intensely exquisite Pinot, winemaker Alex Kanzler crafted this Russian River Valley Pinot Noir around a core of Estate fruit, layering in Mes Filles, Marshall, Walker Station, and Wild Horse Vineyards for increased nuance. Their winemaking is gentle, precise, and skilled, and the results are simply stunning. "Composed with a majority (57%) Estate fruit, and a sizable portion (18%) Mes Filles Vineyard, the 2021 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has a coastal lean to it. Sebastopol Hills, our neighborhood in Russian River Valley, gets the most coastal marine influence in the AVA and the wine shows the hallmarks of this terroir: dark color, structured mouthfeel, and vivid berry fruit backed by an array of warm spices. This wine will pair well with rich foods and will age in the cellar gracefully for 10+ years."