2020 Bootlegger’s Hill Pinot Noir
97 points
Wine Enthusiast
This one-time moonshiner site, deep in the Sonoma Coast hills, was planted by Charlie Chenoweth to a large array of high-quality Pinot Noir selections. The nose is filled with bright muddled cherry, Five Spice, Redwood forest floor and dried cranberry. The palate is full of sweetly textured coating tannins that are rich and full while also elegant. Cascades of fruit and spice complete this fascinating Russian River Pinot Noir. Bootlegger’s Hill produced one of its finest vintages in 2020.
The year began with a very dry winter, leaving some vineyards with reduced water for the growing season. This translated into smaller berries, adding extra intensity to the aromas and flavors of the 2020 wines. The harvest at Patz & Hall wrapped up in late September, making it the earliest end of picking in my 30+ years of winemaking. Though 2020 produced record small yields, the quality was remarkable, with most vineyards producing wines of depth, intensity, and dramatic concentration. The Chardonnays are showing intricate aromatics and deep flavors while the Pinot Noirs show very dark and concentrated flavors with developed tannins. Overall, I’m very pleased with the strength and vitality of the 2020 wines and believe they have a long life ahead in the cellar.
Planted in 2007 by renowned winegrower Charlie Chenoweth and situated a mere 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean (between Sebastopol and Occidental), Bootlegger’s Hill is a very cool site, with shallow Goldridge soils that produce low yields of small-berried clusters. While Bootlegger Hill is chilly, there’s just enough warmth to fully ripen the grapes while still maintaining the mineral-like acidity for which Sonoma Coast is known. Our blocks of Bootlegger’s Hill have a northeast aspect that captures the first rays of the morning sun. It is planted to Dijon selections, as well as a small amount of Pommard and Calera.
100% Burgundian French oak barrels (43% new- 57% 1 year old) All made from three-year air-dried staves
Bottled without filtration to preserve the wine’s aromas and flavors and enhance aging potential
This wine is Vegan
- Type:
- Red
- Varietal:
- Pinot Noir
- Region:
- California
- Appellation:
- Russian River Valley
- Vintage:
- 2020
- Blend:
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Alcohol:
- 14.5%
- Fermentation:
- Multi-yeast fermentations (native yeast, followed by cultured yeast); 100% Malo-lactic fermentation in barrel