Suckling: “A real standout Pinot”
- 95 pts James Suckling95 pts JS
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2022 Martin Ray Pinot Noir Hallberg Ranch Green Valley of Russian River Valley Sonoma 750 ml
Retail: $60 | ||
| $36 | 40% off | per bottle |
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Matches Peers 3X the Price
Pinot from Hallberg Vineyard has been in high demand for two decades now, by multiple wineries who charge WAY more than Martin Ray for their single-vineyard bottlings from this foggy corner of Green Valley. Martin Ray owner Courtney Benham and his consulting 100-point winemaker Keith Emerson NAILED this exceptional terroir in 2022, resulting in a wine that stands with elites like Kistler ($195) and Paul Hobbs ($80+).
The consistent level of quality in the glass is, of course, the result of intensive labor in the vineyard. That was the spirit in which Martin Ray—a pioneer of California viticulture alongside legends like Donn Chappellet and Robert Mondavi—founded his winery in the 1940s, and it continues in his name today.
Ray wanted to craft Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to rival the best of Europe, back when most would have found that notion laughable. He cut yields and refused to irrigate in the vineyard, and he was even stricter in the cellar, sometimes holding wines back a decade until he felt they were ready to go to market.
Hallberg Ranch, with its picturesque rolling hills on the southern flank of the Green Valley AVA, used to be an apple orchard. Brice Cutrer Jones, founder of Sonoma-Cutrer, planted the first vines back in the site’s Goldridge loam soils back in 1999, and those dry-farmed vines are now treated to sustainable farming practices. At this fantastic site, Pinot Noir clones Pommard and 115 develop supple, fleshy fruit flavors while retaining plenty of natural acidity.
It all contributes to the sheer elegance of this 2022 Hallberg Ranch Pinot—perfect for lovers of the freshness and poise of this classic variety.