2016 DeLoach Vineyards Pinot Noir 750 ml

What makes great wine possible in the first place is terrific terroir—the mysterious combination of climate, soil, topography, and grapevines—and the DeLoach Russian River estate has it in spades. Bees buzz through the vineyards, where herbs and medicinal plants form a vibrant, green carpet between rows of gnarled grapevines. Nearby, chicken and sheep graze happily, completing an ecosystem overflowing with biodiversity and bucolic charm—and that’s before the crimson Pinot Noirs that made this terroir famous have begun to take effect. 

A 12-time recipient of Wine & Spirits magazine’s “Top 100 Wineries,” DeLoach captures the essence of Russian River Valley with a $25 price tag. The 2016 Russian River Pinot Noir combines California opulence with exacting Burgundian technique, blending ripe wild strawberry and raspberry flavors with the earthy signature of French Pinot Noirs in a stunning combination that puts DeLoach toe-to-toe with producers like Kistler, Patz & Hall, and Benovia. 

In 2003, Burgundy’s Boisset family had the chance to discover what would happen when you tamed coiled Sonoma coast energy and power with centuries-old Burgundian techniques. Together with a star winemaking team of David Ramey (a man whose resume includes Petrus, Dominus, Matanzas Creek and more) and winemaker Brian Maloney (who helped lead efforts to revitalize the estate’s vineyards), DeLoach has created a seamlessly integrated blend of fruit from across the estate. 

The quality of the DeLoach estate was recognized as early as the 19th century, when Italian settlers selected the area’s undulating slopes as a place to cultivate vines. Fog crawls over the vineyards in the evening and dissipates as the morning heat rises, providing cool cover for the grapes to reach full maturity and complexity while preserving crystalline acidity. Permeable soils, primarily clay-loam, allowed water to drain while trapping enough moisture to replenish plants through dry spells.

Jean-Charles Boisset, who leads the estate, is no stranger to Pinot Noir—raised amongst the vines in Vougeot, he has spent his career elevating vineyards around the globe, and brings his deep knowledge of Burgundy and viticulture to life at the DeLoach estate. His first action was to replenish soils that had been sapped of nutrients and minerals by instituting certified organic and biodynamic viticulture practices. Secondly, he instituted a vinification process familiar to any top estate in the Côte de Nuits. That meant use of open-top fermenters; native yeasts in fermentation; hand punch-downs; and aging in 60-gallon French oak barrels.

The 2016 DeLoach Pinot sums up all the virtues of the Boisset approach beautifully: lush, juicy concentration, high-toned vibrancy, textbook aromas of red raspberry and underbrush. The Russian River’s best bargain is officially here.