2017 Walter Hansel Pinot Noir Cahill Lane Vineyard | Russian River Valley Sonoma, California 750ml

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Cahill Lane has a broody nose of sliced blueberry, black cherry and warm blackberries with cinnamon, nutmeg, tree bark and amaro accents plus crushed red cherries, raspberry jam, warm strawberries and dried flowers. Medium-bodied and silky, it fans out in the mouth with lush, concentrated fruits and tons of spicy and earthy accents, with a firm frame of grainy tannins and very juicy acidity, finishing very long and layered. | 93 points, Wine Advocate

The 2017 Pinot Noir Cahill Lane Vineyard is soft, creamy and voluptuous, all of which give it tremendous raciness and immediacy, especially for this wine and given its bottling just two weeks before I saw it. Ripe red cherry/raspberry, mint, chalk, and floral notes abound. | 92 points, Antonio Galloni for Vinous

A blend of 3 clones, clone 114, clone 115, and the Rochioli Pommard clone, are grown each on its own one acre site. The vines were planted in 1989 and are in their peak, quality wise. The Rochioli pommard and the clone 115 contribute red berry and cherry flavors and the clone 114 adds a dimension of herbal flavors giving Cahill Lane an Old world character. | Walter Hansel Winery

Antonio Galloni calls Walter Hansel "some of the most consumer friendly wines readers will come across ANYWHERE in California", and we can't agree more. When tasting this wine blind, we almost always place a higher value on it and then get a pleasant surprise at the true price.
| Falling Bright