Joseph Jewell started with a single barrel of Russian River Pinot Noir made in a garage in 2006. Nearly two decades later, Pinot remains at the heart of the winery, drawn from some of Sonoma County’s most compelling sites and shaped by years of experience with the variety. At $29.99, the 2024 puts all of that history in the bottle at a price that’s becoming remarkably hard to find in Russian River Valley. The advantage of sticking with Pinot this long is knowing your vineyards. Joseph Jewell’s relationships throughout the Russian River Valley include Bucher, Hallberg, and Starscape, with some extending back more than a decade. Adrian tastes the individual lots separately before assembling the final blend, using the differences between sites to create a broader expression of the appellation. That same restraint carries into the cellar. Native yeast fermentation, gentle punch downs, selective whole clusters, and French oak are all used to keep the fruit front and center and let the vineyard and vintage speak. It’s thoughtful, hands-off winemaking from a producer that has spent nearly twenty years honing its craft. At $29.99, that’s an awfully modest ask for Russian River Pinot made with this much care.