So far, I've seen this label on four different bottles of Pinot Noir from Definitive Vineyards. Tried this week were the bottles labelled "R" for Russian River, "W" for Willamette Valley, and "N" for Napa Valley. As you can see, "S" stands for Sonoma which I'm assuming is not the Russian River part of Sonoma County.
Well I tried to research this winery but had little luck. Apparently it is a second label from winemaker Ken Bernards at Ancien Wines in Napa. This has not been confirmed however.
What I can tell you is that my forum of four brought three bottles of Definitive to the table thinking that all were the same vineyard, just different vintages. What we found that the we had three different vineyards from the same producer. So I'll call this a "lateral" tasting as opposed to a "vertical" tasting.
Willamette Valley, as one might expect, is lighter with more spice and pepper on the taste. This quickly mellows into a wonderful light pinot which would pair great with grilled chicken or olive oil-based pastas. Think of this as a summer Pinot Noir.
Napa and Russian River were quite similar. Only after a few minutes did the two of them start showing their differences. Both are bold Pinots with much red fruit forward. Both show some earth and dark berries on the nose. The Napa ends a bit sooner than the Russian River however. I give the edge, therefore, to the "R."
Any of these are great Pinot. If you're like me, you prefer them ripe and fruity. N and R will provide that. If you like more earth and spice, W is for you.
T-Scale: W - 88, N - 89, R - 90. Great price points on these. Don't pay more than $24 each. I can't tell you much more about this wine than this. If you can get it, let me know. There is one case of R on the shelf at Party Town in Florence, KY now. Beat me to it if you dare!
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