Region: California - Napa Valley
Grapes: Red Blend
Alcohol: 13.5%
Notes on the Wine
Deep blackberry and blueberry fruit notes with fresh picked herbs, bramble and forest floor lead to an aromatic bouquet that is shy at first and opens with a swirl in the glass. The first sip explodes with flavor, revealing the intensity of optimally ripened fruit. The wine balances juicy red and black fruit like Santa Rosa plum, black cherry, black/blueberry, cassis and strawberry jam with baking spice nuances of star anise, cardamom and allspice and a touch of bay leaf and mocha. Tightly woven structure is balanced by mouth watering acidity and supple tannins that make it ideal for not just the the obvious grilled or roasted meats or rich, creamy cheese and charcuterie, but also poultry, pork, root vegetables and mushrooms. The wine encourages the adventurous to experiment with food and wine.
Notes on the Producer
Every vineyard and every growing season creates a wine with a personality born of the elements. Of all grape varieties, Pinot Noir is a particularly impressionable and expressive variety whose character is sculpted by heat summation, modified by weather anomalies, and defined by timing, making Pinot Noir the ideal conduit for channeling the essence of vineyard and vintage into a bottle. RSV’s Perfect Circle Pinot Noirs are a culmination of 40 years of working with the rhythms of nature, learning the eccentricities of the grape and discovering how the two interact with place.
Jeff Virnig joined RSV in 1988 as an assistant winemaker before becoming one of the youngest winemakers in Napa Valley in 1991. He has been integral in all aspects of RSV including developing most of RSV’s vineyards. His emphasis has been on improving wine quality by helping the vine achieve a natural balance through soil building with organic regenerative farm methodology. Jeff picks and keeps the various ranch blocks separate during fermentation so they may be evaluated for their unique, subtle attributes. The separate lots allow flexibility in that Jeff can apply different fermentation techniques to each lot to accentuate that lot’s individual character. His attention to detail has greatly contributed to the quality and consistency of RSV wines.
