2020 Synthesis Pinot Noir
2020 Synthesis Pinot Noir; Sonoma County, California
From our Estate in the Russian River Valley, to the broad terroir of Sonoma County and Napa Valley, to the high elevation and close proximity to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz, we rely on premiere vineyard sites with meticulous detail to farming. Built on a foundation of relationships and deep affinity for each region, we believe each wine begins its life in the vineyard. The pragmatic cycle that takes place each year forms a foundation and it is the quality set forth by the hands that tend the vineyard that sets the precedent.
Pinot Noir is the dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, now adopted (and extensively studied) in wine regions all over the world. The variety’s elusive charm has carried it to all manner of vineyards.These extend from western Germany (as Spätburgunder) and northern Italy to Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. California, Oregon and New Zealand are arguably the greatest centers for the grape outside its home territory. However great Pinot Noir is made in all of these territories.
Russian River Valley, one of the United States’ top-ranked wine regions, is located at the heart of Sonoma County, California. It is one of California’s coolest and foggiest AVAs creating a perfect climate for producing highly acclaimed wines from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Russian River which gives the AVA its name is the second-largest river within the nine-county Greater San Francisco Bay Area. It is named after the Russian-American Company, whose explorers charted the river in the early 19th Century (eventually founding the Fort Ross colony a few miles north of the river mouth). Today, the region is home to a number of Sonoma’s top wine producers, including Kosta Browne, Williams Seylem and Paul Hobbs
Martin Ray is a producer based in Santa Rosa, California, in the heart of the Russian River Valley. It makes a wide range of wines with emphasis on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and the Bordeaux grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The estate owns a 5-hectare (12-acre) plot in the Russian River Valley that is planted to several clones of Pinot Noir. However, most grapes are sourced from contract growers from several neighboring regions, including Green Valley for old vine Chardonnay, and Stags Leap District and Diamond Mountain for Cabernet Sauvignon.