Medium ruby purple color, complex and aromatic with ripe black and red fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, autumn leaves, licorice and a hint of camphor. Moderate plus bodied, with black cherry, ripe strawberry and toasted oak on entry, the mid palate show savory cola and leather elements with nicely balanced acidity and tannins leading to a lingering finish showing black and red cherry with baking spice notes.
The third vintage of Pinot Noir from the Hop Kiln Estate. With three unique soil types, the grapes from this vineyard produce the famous plush and rich style of Pinot Noir of this region. Harvested from a truly landmark vineyard, which is located on the coveted Westside Road in the Russian River Valley, this unique bottle also features the iconic and historical stone hop kilns which the California Heritage Society have named a historical landmark.
Rooted in a rich history of agriculture, Landmark Vineyards was founded in 1974 by a group that includes Damaris Deere Ford, the great-great-granddaughter of John Deere, inventor of the first steel plow. By 1989 Damaris Deere Ford was the sole proprietor and decided to move the vineyard to the present site in the Sonoma Valley. Deepening their commitment to Chardonnay, Landmark hired world-renowned enologist, Helen Turley, in 1993, leading to their signature style: whole cluster pressed grapes, fermentation by native yeast strains, and aging in French oak.
In 1995 Landmark releases the inaugural vintage of Pinot Noir, Grand Detour, named after the town in Illinois where John Deere set up his blacksmith shop. Their first Overlook Pinot Noir wouldn't be released until 2014 and it isn't until 2016 that Landmark Vineyards acquires the Hop Kiln Estate in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley. Two years after Hop Kiln Estate joined the Landmark family, the inaugural vintage of their Hop Kiln Estate Reserve Pinot Noir was released. Made entirely of their finest estate fruit, only six barrels of this vintage were produced. The Reserve Pinot Noir was released in a uniquely designed bottle with the historic Hop Kiln building etched in gold and a wax-dipped seal, creating a true collector's editions.
Landmark uses the most time and labor-intensive techniques to produce their wines. Grapes are aged in French oak barrels, where naturally occurring wild yeasts ferment the juice. This creates complex, aromatic wines with deep, expressive flavors. Their grapes are soured from the finest vineyards in California, including Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties, to produce wines that capture uniqueness of the region, appellation, and at the pinnacle, a single vineyard.
Each vineyard Landmark sources grapes from claims a unique microclimate and soil composition. Through careful blending, their winemaker creates wines that balance and enhance those characteristics. The resulting blend is greater than the sum of its parts.
750ML / 14.5% ABV
