The Russian River Valley is one of only a few spots among the world's winemaking regions that produces truly exceptional Pinot Noir. Diverse topography and a long, cool growing season ripen this delicate grape to perfection, and at J Vineyards & Winery we carefully select winemaking methods that give Russian River Valley Pinot Noir its purest expression. We are also one of only a few

At harvest, as each row reaches optimum ripeness, we hand-pick clusters during the cool nighttime hours when grapes are at their most balanced. Careful hand-sorting in the winery ensures high quality. Pinot Noir undergoes three to five days of cold soaking to enhance fruit characters prior to fermentation. During fermentation-in open- and closed-top fermentation tanks-the juice is punched down four times a day to control tannins and harshness while extracting precise color. Gentle gravity-flow racking for all our wines further prevents the extraction of harsh tannins, and malolactic fermentation is completed in oak barrels. Our Pinot Noir ages nine to eleven months in 100% French oak, while our Pinotage takes rich complexity from a combination of French and American oak barrels. Minimum fining retains pure fruit expression before the wine is bottled.