Alcohol: 13%
Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Location: Sonoma County, California
Tasting Notes: The wine showcases rich layers of dark blue and black fruits, creating a complex blend of savory and sweet flavors. There is an ever-so-subtle bittersweetness reminiscent of amaro, along with a slightly ferrous quality and hints of graphite. These elements complement the opulent fruit - think late-season blackberries - adding complexity, structure, and length to the wine.
The Domain: Valravn Pinot Noir is an exploration of Sonoma County, anchored in the Russian River Valley. Vineyards span as far north as Annapolis, east as Sonoma Mountain, west as Freestone, and south as Petaluma Gap. Notable vineyards include Starscape (Middle Reach - Russian River AVA), Bohemian (Green Valley - Russian River AVA), Cleary Ranch (Freestone-Occidental - Russian River AVA), Sunnyslope (Bennett Valley AVA), Gap’s Crown (Petaluma Gap - Sonoma Coast AVA), and Durell (Los Carneros - Sonoma Coast AVA).
The team behind Valravn has been making wine in Sonoma County for over ten years. Along the way, they’ve established a dynamic network of friends and colleagues that include vineyard owners, growers, and winemakers. Because of those forged relationships and friendships, they secured exclusive access to grapes from fantastic vineyards, overseeing hands-on production from vineyard to bottle. While they successfully navigated and maneuvered their way through the negociant market in the past, the next evolutionary step for the team was Valravn.
Launched in 2014, Valravn started with Zinfandel from a friend’s property that they were not going to use for their own production (and not just any zinfandel grapes; these were the old, bush-pruned gnarly vines, envied by every winemaker). In 2017, the range was expanded to include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon from key sites throughout Sonoma County.
Today, the team at Valravn continues to seek out similar opportunities, finding a parcel here and a row there, and then they bring it all together to craft quintessential Sonoma County wines, out of the gate approachable, delicious, and table ready.
