2013 Walter Hansel "South Slope Vineyard" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

The 2013 Pinot Noir South Slope once again stands out for its boisterous, explosive personality. Bold, intense flavors race across the palate as this powerful, resonant Pinot shows off its class and personality. Expressive spice notes wrap around a core of dark red fruits in an expressive Pinot that delivers the goods, and then some. Stephen Hansel is one of the most intelligent winery owners in Sonoma. More interested in getting people to drink his wines than in maximizing short-term profit, Hansel continues to offer some of the very best wines readers will find for the money. In particular, the Estate Chardonnay, $25 a bottle, is surely one of the best values in wine. The Hansel wines capture the essence of the Russian River in their exuberant, forward personalities...The Pinots see a five day cold-soak and are vinified, fully destemmed, in open-top wood fermenters, after which they are aged in French oak, about 60% new. After the large crop of 2012, Hansel dropped a significant amount of fruit in 2013, roughly 60% of the Pinot crop and 30% of the Chardonnay crop. Quality is high across the board and pricing remains incredibly consumer friendly throughout the range, making these some of the most delicious and compelling Sonoma wines readers will come across. (AG)