Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/935769
{ SOMMjournal.com } 73 GREEN VALLEY: Among the coolest and foggiest neighborhoods, Green Valley is also dominated by Goldridge sandy loam. Although elevations and exposures in this hilly AVA vary considerably—higher elevation slopes can be blazing in hot vintages—Green Valley Pinot Noirs veer toward darker red fruits (black cherry, blueberry, and cranberry), forest floor nu - ances, and sumptuous textures. Chardon- nays are acid-driven, deep, and sometimes long-lived. Dutton Ranch cultivates numer- ous blocks in this neighborhood, which is also associated with vineyards such as Martinelli Winery's Jackass Hill, Keefer Ranch, Heintz, Hawk Hill, Hallberg, Iron Horse, and Marimar's Don Miguel. SEBASTOPOL HILLS: Located at Russian River Valley's southernmost point, Sebastopol Hills' close proximity to Bodega Bay and the Petaluma Gap makes it the coldest, foggiest, and windiest of the five neighborhoods. Chardonnays can exhibit elevated acidity, lemon/citrus intensity, and sensations of mineral and silk, while Pinot Noirs are deep in black cherry and sometimes blueberry—or even with a pomegranate-like zip. Lean, acid-driven profiles are often savory with non-fruit qualities, but they can also retain a billowing, penetratingly-intense core of fruit. Prime examples of this iconic style of Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs are Balletto Vineyards' Burnside and Sexton Hill bottlings; Merry Edwards Winery's Meredith; Kosta-Browne's Kanzler ; Littorai's The Pivot; and Klopp's Thorn Ridge, as well as the Pinot Noirs of Pratt, Maboroshi, DuNah, Umino, Halleck, and Suacci. For more information, visit the Russian River Valley Winegrowers website at rrvw.org. Dehlinger Vineyard is located within the slightly-elevated Laguna Ridge neighborhood. The highly-regarded Dutton Ranch vineyard is based in the Green Valley neighborhood, which varies considerably in both elevation and exposure. Balletto Vineyards Winemaker Anthony Beckman in Sebastopol Hills. Joseph Swan Vineyards Owner and Winemaker Rod Berglund sifts through the Goldridge soil of his Trenton Estate Vineyard in Laguna Ridge.