2006 C. Donatiello Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Mission Codename: West of Eden

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Infiltrate C. Donatiello and raid their supply of their outstanding Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: C. Donatiello

Wine Subject: 2006 Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Chris Donatiello

Backgrounder: The Russian River Valley in Sonoma is particularly well suited to producing exceptional Pinot Noir. This AVA was officially designated in 1983, but many of the wines in the region used the designation as early as the 1970s (early in California’s wine history) with the many of the vines having been first planted in the early 1900s. In today’s wine, C. Donateillo presents a delicious take on Russian River Valley Pinot Noir by delivering a wine of bold and balanced character. Read Agent Red’s mission report and tasting noted below for the full intel on this very exciting wine

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet in color with perfect clarity through its deeper and darkening heart. When swirled, the surface of the wine appears taught and springy. When the wine settles, it leaves behind a high ring of ultra tight-packed legs that are very chubby. The legs seem to take forever to emerge before they make their slow march down the inside of the glass

Smell – A initial bold rush of cherry leaps from the glass. Then, lush and deep aromatics show off a medium intensity with cranberry and spice. These sit atop an earthiness with soft forest floor, cigar box, dried violets, soft sassafras, minerals and the slightest hint of gray gunpowder

Feel – Smooth, soft and round, but only very initially. Soon after sipping, the wine reveals more character by introducing minerally tannins that take hold at the mid-palate, coating the mouth slightly and drying the tongue, lips and cheeks

Taste – Deep and integrated flavors of ripe red cherry, strawberry, dried rose petals, a hint of black tea, spice, minerals and the most subtle hint of green tomato

Finish – This wine goes very long, with fruit, softest spice and a clean minerality that lingers long after you sip

Conclusion – This is a delicious wine with a ton of Russian River Valley character. A very impressive offering, this Pinot Noir delivers bold and classic RRV fruit in a wine that has amazing aromatics and a really exciting mouthfeel. When I sample this wine at our covert tasting, I was able to taste it through a range of conditions, from cold to warmer (room temperature), and from freshly opened to well decanted. The wine was delicious and a real pleasure to drink under all of these conditions, but it was after it was decanted for a spell that it revealed its best character. After about 30 minutes, the wine softened and opened up, delivering appreciably better fruit and a more tender feel. Drinking beautifully now, I am certain that this wine will continue to improve over the next few years. Certainly grab a few bottles to enjoy now, but also lay a few down. The patient will be amply rewarded! If you love great Russian River Pinot Noir, this wine is a true delight that is certain to please you.

Mission Report:

ALERT! Chris Donatiello, winemaker and proprietor, is AWOL and an All Points Bulletin has been issued. As soon as we locate Chris, we’ll debrief him and then publish a transcript of the interview here.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the gorgeous C. Donatiello Winery, vineyards and gardens can be seen in this satellite photo.