2009 Chasseur Russian River Pinot Noir

I'm trying yet another bottle of Chasseur Pinot Noir after previously trying the Sonoma Coast and second label called Cazar. I guess this winery really has made an impression on me and now I'm trying all of the wines! The Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is sourced from the Umino and Ferguson vineyards and uses all Dijon clones such as 667, 777, and 459. It's aged in French oak barrels for 10 months.

This is definitely a darker colored wine than the previous Pinot's I tasted from this producer, which to be honest is actually quite common of the appellation.

On the nose I get aromas of pomegranate, red raspberry, black cherry, and subtle hints of orange peel. There are also some secondary aromas of black tea and peppercorn if you search hard enough beneath the fruit.

On the palate the first thing I notice is the wines' seductive and rounded texture. It's a silky wine that glides across the palate, but then pierces down with sharp acidity on the finish. I get beautiful flavors of black cherry that combine with red currant, spice, rhubarb, red raspberry, and just hints of black tea. The tea quality is actually quite intriguing and perhaps has to do with the tactile quality of the tannin that this wine possesses. The finish is quite long and displays very nice fruit flavors and spicy undertones.

I guess what I really dig about the wines from Chasseur are their stunning purity. They're wines that perfectly represent the essence of Pinot Noir and express the ripeness and exquisite balance that can only be found in the California sunshine. Major Kudos to Bill Hunter.... 93+ points


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