2012 Iron Horse Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Iron Horse Vineyards is in Green Valley, a part of Sonoma County. The estate was founded in 1976 by Audrey and Barry Sterling, a husband-and-wife team with extensive legal and political careers in Washington D.C., California and Europe. In 1976 the couple decided to turn their love of wine into a family project. They bought the estate, which today includes 160 acres of vineyards planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Iron Horse remains a family affair, with daughter Joy Sterling and son Laurence Sterling running the company. Given the years the family spent living in France, it is perhaps no surprise that Iron Horse is best known for its sparkling wines, which have been served at numerous historic events at the White House. Iron Horse usually makes up to 10 sparkling wines, which frequently earn ratings in the mid-to-high 90s from wine reviewers including Robert M. Parker Jr. and Wine Enthusiast.

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.