This 2019 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from Arista is gorgeous and exemplifies the best of this appellation and the vintage. Located on famed Westside Road, Arista has been making expressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay since their debut vintage in 2002. For this offering, winemaker Matt Courtney harvested fruit from Toboni, Lucky Well and Mononi Vineyards along with Arista’s own estate vineyard. “Blue and red fruits predominate on the nose, but the presence of a lavender inflected floral component is unmistakable. There is great tension and texture on the palate, with fine grained tannins supporting flavors of fresh pomegranate and tangy wild blackberry. A hint of cola on the long finish speaks to the quality of this vintage, where warm sunny days and cool nights gave rise to perfect ripeness balanced by a gentle yet refreshing acidity.” Matt is a perfectionist when it comes to making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. After eight years as winemaker at Marcassin, Matt now concentrates his efforts on Arista and his own winery, Ferren.