Bootlegger's Hill
Adrian’s quest to discover his true potential as a winemaker
led him to Bootlegger's Hill Vineyard; the site of Russian River Valley’s
most revered Pinot Noir by classic, old-guard producers.
Pappy Jewell was an entrepreneur of a different shade. As many folks were hard pressed, to say the least, during the Great Depression and prohibition, Pappy saw opportunity. You could say making libations has been in the Jewell family for centuries now as Pappy was a bootlegger in Topeka, Kansas, providing the highest quality of spirit to the town.
Bootlegger’s Hill Vineyard shares a similar history, as the name suggests. Once a moonshine operation in the hills of the Russian River Valley, it was planted to clonal selections of Pinot Noir in 2009 by Charlie Chenoweth. Now a different kind of spirit rises from those hills.
Tasting Notes
Fragrant notes of cherry blossom and cotton candy. Bright red currant, dark black cherry leaning towards earthy tones of leather and stony minerality. On the pallet this wine comes across very racy with an intensive mouthfeel. The fruit and spicy notes are in striking balance. This wine has amazing balance across the palate.
Vintages
Winemaking Notes
Planted by Charlie Chenoweth and his team in 2010. This vineyard is the fruit source for some of the most famous Russian River Valley producers like Kosta Browne and Patz & Hall. I was lucky to wiggle my way into this amazing vineyard just outside of the town of Occidental. The site once produced moonshine during prohibition, hence its name. For the Jewell project, I source from two different blocks which are planted to the Mt. Eden and the Calera Clone. The Mt. Eden clone contributes structure and the dark tones and spices, while the Calera brings out the beauty in the wine: fragrant cherry blossoms and stony minerality.
