Walter Hansel Pinot Noir North Slope 2022

Russian River Valley, California

Vinous 92 points! 

Walter Hansel Pinot Noir North Slope is a beautiful example of single-vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Walter Hansel was a lifelong wine enthusiast who had the vision to plant his estate's original 250 vines in 1978. Today, Stephen, Walter's son, has taken up where his father left off, pursuing his vision of producing world-class Burgundian-styled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from the Russian River Valley. Practicing organic.

"We produce five estate vineyard designated pinot noirs and one estate pinot noir from a blend of our grape sites. The North Slope begins four feet from the end of the South Slope and continues to slope to the North. It is 100% French clone 115. The close proximity to the South Slope does not influence these flavors as clone 115 exhibits the most fruit driven flavors and appears more "New World" than French. All pinot noir is stainless steel fermented after a 5-7 day cold soak with punchdowns 3 times daily. Whole clusters are employed in only a few tanks at 5%. Barrels are 60% new Francois Freres and the remainder 1 year old. The wine is aged in barrel for 12 months and settled in tank for 2 months.”-Stephen Hansel 

“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.”—Vinous 92 points!   

Enjoy Walter Hansel Pinot Noir North Slope over the next 8-10 years with roast pork, grilled salmon, ratatouille and aged cheeses.