2015 Bootlegger's Hill Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
The 2015 Pinot Noir Bootlegger's Vineyard is super complex and beautifully articulate. Big, plush and still very fresh, the 2015 churns out aromas of black olive, underbrush, iron, game and bitter cherry fruit, just starting to turn the corner from primary aromas into more complex savory layers. Vibrant acids and grippy tannins keep this very much alive. There’s so much to like here, and it should cruise for at least another five to seven years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Billy Norris, Vinous
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The 2015 Pinot Noir Bootlegger's Hill was made primarily by Nico Cueva, who’s the winemaker for Kosta Browne. This is a ripe, medium to full-bodied, broad, and expansive effort from the Russian River Valley that offers terrific notes of strawberries and cherry fruit, lots of violets and forest floor nuances, silky tannin, and loads of spice on the finish. In short, it’s a classic Russian River Pinot Noir to drink over the coming decade. Winemaker Michael Browne has moved on from Kosta Browne and is now the sole owner of the CIRQ label. In addition, he purchased an estate property in the heart of the Russian River Valley and going forward, the CIRQ wines will be sourced from multiple vineyards with the idea of making a single, blended Pinot Noir. The 2015s and 2016s will be last wines from the original Treehouse and Bootlegger’s Hill Vineyards, and from 2017 on, these single vineyard cuvees will be released solely by Kosta Browne. I look forward to seeing with Michael does with his new estate and any reader who loves distinctive, high-quality Pinot Noirs are advised to take note.