94 Points -
"The 2019 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail comes from vines planted at an elevation of 1,600 feet in the Anderson Valley. Matured in 38% new French oak for 15 months, it has a medium ruby color and slowly opening aromas of raspberries, rhubarb, burnt orange, tobacco leaves, dried roses and fir. Medium-bodied and powerful with a youthful sheen of spicy oak, the palate has a silky texture, shimmery acidity and a very long, mineral-driven finish. It's hedonistic yet youthfully tense, with the potential to unfold in bottle over the next decade." - Erin Brooks, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, July 2022
Tasting Notes
This mountain-grown wine expresses the ripe fruits of the warm days and the acid balance from the cool nights. Vibrant fruit aromas of blueberry, raspberry, and plum are the hallmarks of the aromatics along with a subtle cedar/cigar box note. These aromatics lead to intense flavors of berries and spice in this structured yet lively Pinot Noir.
Historic Acclaim
2017: 93 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Apr 2020
2017: 92 points, Jeb Dunnuck.com, May 2020
2017: 93+ points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Feb 2020
2016: 94 points, Jeb Dunnuck.com, June 2019
2016: 95 points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Oct 2018
2015: 95 points, Jeb Dunnuck.com, June 2018
2015: 94+ points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Dec 2017
2014: 94 points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Oct 2016
2013: 94 points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Oct 2016
2013: 90-92 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan 2015
2012: 93 points Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Dec 2014
Vineyard & Vintage Character
In the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County the local residents speak an obscure dialect of English known as Boontling, which developed in the late 1800s. The “Muldune Trail” was a term used in Anderson Valley lore often describing the road traversing the ridge to Ukiah. There are other definitions of hitting the “Muldune Trail” that we will leave to the reader to discover! Our blocks within this estate-owned vineyard are located in the hills above Anderson Valley just below a 2,000 foot elevation, making it our highest elevation site. Planted to Dijon clones 115 and 667, we see another expression of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir that is more masculine than our Velvet Sisters bottling.
Wine Details
Oak: 100% French oak, 38% new
Time in oak: 15 months
Yeast: Native
TA: 5.6 g/L
pH: 3.61
Alcohol: 14.4%
Cases produced: 247
Unfined and unfiltered