2002 Stewart Pinot Noir

Stewart Cellars was founded in 2000 by Michael Stewart, who built a career in technology in Texas before buying property in Napa Valley. Stewart runs the estate with his wife and adult children, and the consulting winemaker is Paul Hobbs, a much-admired winemaker who founded his own winery and consults throughout the world. Grapes are sourced from some of the area’s premium vineyards, including Las Piedras, Stagecoach and Ross Station, in the Russian River Valley. Stewart makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Stewart Cellars a “small, high quality boutique producer” making “Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Russian River area as well as some exceptionally fine Cabernet Sauvignon from various vineyards in Napa.” He has rated the wines in the low to mid-90s.

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.