Winemaker’s Notes

Our new vintage of Flax Estate Pinot Noir is a classic mountain-style wine, unique to the dusty volcanic soils that sit above the Middle Reach of the Russian River. The river is deep and wide at this point, promoting fog intrusion that keeps this northern inland area cool into late morning. The result is a wine of lovely aromatic purity – bright and lively, with grand-scale, savory complexity. Our decision to harvest before a three-day heat event rewarded us with an especially vibrant, pure expression of these rocky, deep red soils. The challenge here is to retain elegance in a site that can easily veer rustic, but by harvesting early and gently extracting in the winery, we vividly captured the site's natural depth with a silky, textural generosity. 

The wine's aromas and flavors feature red and black cherry, kirsch, clove, sandalwood, cedar, and pine needle, with a smoked paprika and red iron tone running throughout. It beautifully balances concentration and delicacy, propped up by layers of texture and supple tannins, then flows to a lingering maraschino cherry finish. Drink between late 2026 and 2036. 

Andy Smith Viticulturist, Winemaker & Partner