2022 Walter Hansel ‘North Slope’ Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

VIN92 The 2022 Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard is quite dark and brooding in feel. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather, lavender, game and mocha add to an impression of somber intensity. Give this a year or two to soften. Clone 777 Pinot yields a wine of notable breadth here.
JD91 The 2022 Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard is entirely from the 115 clone and pours a darker ruby/magenta color. Raised in 24% new French oak, and the rest in one-year-old François Frère barrels, the wine is toasty with notes of incense, scorched forest floor, ripe black cherries, and a touch of licorice. Medium-bodied, it fills the palate with ripe tannins and a juicy feel, its toasty spice lasting on the finish. It’s going to have a wide drinking window over the next 5-6 years. 511 cases produced.