2009 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Ed Kurtzman, who is the winemaker at Freeman Vineyards, has been producing wine under his own label since the 2002 vintage. Not surprisingly, the wines track closely in style to the Freeman model, with an emphasis on brightness over power. Kurtzman told me that the Graham Family vineyard "gives ideal fruit for the style of pinot I'm after. The area is at the margin for ripening, which can be hairy if it's a cold season, but I want pinot that's naturally fresh so that's the risk. Luckily, we've had a good run, and in the hot years we really see the advantage of that site. And, actually, compared to the cold spots where some people have started planting vines it doesn't really look so scary any more."