2007 Chasseur Pinot Noir Joyce

The single vineyard Pinot Noirs include the limited production 2007 Pinot Noir Joyce, which comes from a tiny 3-acre block with yields averaging one ton of fruit per acre. Its dense ruby/purple hue is followed by copious aromas of kirsch, raspberry liqueur, plums, and earth. This spicy, medium to full-bodied, tightly-knit Pinot possesses impressive intensity, richness, acidity, and length. Cellar it for another year, and enjoy it over the following 7-8. Bill Hunter is a bigger-than-life guy working out of a low-tech warehouse producing hand-crafted, small lot wines in a French style. Production appears to have leveled off between 2,500 and 2,800 cases of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Virtually all of his vineyards are on the western fringes of the Russian River Valley where it segues into the Sonoma Coast appellation. Hunter calls it the West County triangle area, between Sebastopol, Freestone, and Occidental. Hunter’s winemaking philosophy demands the gentlest handling possible, with the wines moved by either Argon gas (the non-bruising neutral gas) or gravity, fermented in tiny lots, and bottled in most cases without any fining or filtration. Chasseur is definitely a reference point for consumers looking for the highest quality Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from northern California. These are all very impressive wines that merit serious attention. Moreover, their prices are reasonable for the quality level. Chasseur’s Pinot Noirs are fermented in tiny, one-ton fermenters with some whole clusters (stems) used. Tel. (707) 829-1941; Fax (707) 829-1494