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 Vintage2010 Label 1 of 71 
TypeRed
ProducerFailla (web)
VarietyPinot Noir
Designationn/a
VineyardKeefer Ranch
CountryUSA
RegionCalifornia
SubRegionSonoma County
AppellationRussian River Valley

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2013 and 2017 (based on 10 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Failla (Jordan) Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 91.6 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 49 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by pinotpounder on 8/6/2020 & rated 91 points: 91 points (1014 views)
 Tasted by The Drunken Cyclist on 3/21/2020 & rated 93 points: A bit translucent yet still cloudy in the glass with aromas of cherry, earth, and just a trace of spice. The palate is quite amazingly fruity, stopping just short of "amazingly-so." The palate is a delight: fresh cherry, hints of spice, and a zesty tartness that persists through the finish. Yowza. thedrunkencyclist.com (1242 views)
 Tasted by GoBlue2002 on 9/20/2016 & rated 92 points: An interesting low(er) alcohol (13.9% ABV) RRV pinot, showing a great deal of acidity but maintaining some purity of fruit and a touch of mineral.
Well integrated tannins.
Smooth and easy to drink.

Me - 91, Wife - 92 (3114 views)
 Tasted by RobSpectator on 12/19/2015 & rated 92 points: Still holding on but fruit notes have softened. Nose is still rich and tha palate is well balanced with acids integrated nicely with the alcohol, fruit and tannins. Consider uncorking in 2016 for peak. (3581 views)
 Tasted by yossarian.livez on 12/6/2015 & rated 90 points: Perhaps I underestimated this wine on release. It's showing delightful baked cherry, spice, rhubarb, cola, and a touch of mineral. Moderate plus length. It's RRV, but not over the top. Really at a nice spot right now though held a glass overnight and it was going strong the next day, so certainly no rush. (3526 views)
 Tasted by fournet on 8/8/2015: Much improved from two years ago. Nice acidity. Fruit could improve; a bit thin. (3013 views)
 Tasted by sayward on 3/2/2015 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 2 hours and drinking well. A big pinot with tons of fruit upfront. I noted that some people thought this wine was fading. I didn't get that impression. (3316 views)
 Tasted by SMZ on 12/1/2014 & rated 90 points: Seems to be fading a bit; I agree with mattboy. (2036 views)
 Tasted by tkcbone on 11/23/2014 & rated 92 points: very good
opened up nicely (1505 views)
 Tasted by RobSpectator on 6/21/2014 & rated 93 points: Red brick hues but with some intensity showing a nice extraction of fruit. Excellent acid structure which subsides if consumed a day after uncorking. The nose wowed folks showing an amazing bouquet with standard Russian river markers like wild strawberries and cinnamon spice cake. A good entry on the palate but some bracing acid following initial uncorking. Properly cellared, this wine may have a few years remaining! (2052 views)
 Tasted by mattyboy_ on 3/5/2014 & rated 90 points: Much better in its youth and by youth I mean on release. The nose is predictable RRV cinnamon and baking spices and ripe (candied??) strawberry. On the palate there was an artificial flavor aspect which I didn't like. The acidity and freshness this wine possessed on release was just nowhere to be found - now it feels big and clumsy. Disappointing prospects as I really loved this wine and this vineyard. (2676 views)
 Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 11/1/2013 & rated 92 points: Hennepin Lake's Annual Tasting (Tons of Napa Cabs); 10/30/2013-11/2/2013: Hey nice stuff with cherry, blueberries, tobacco and minerals. Medium plus finish. (3600 views)
 Tasted by Ron Felthoven on 10/17/2013: Came across as relatively big and ripe, but it had good acid on the finish that kept it from feeling flabby and overdone. Pretty straightforward pinot flavors -- not terribly complex at this point -- but there appears to be an upside here and I expect they'll pick up more secondary flavors as the years pass. Got outclassed by a J. Christopher Abbey Ridge from 09. Seemed like the warm year in OR yielded a wine of similar ripeness to a cool year in CA. (2188 views)
 Tasted by Vervelb on 9/21/2013 & rated 91 points: Hint of purple in the ruby colored, watery edged wine. The nose is red licorice and anise, with a little floral and baking spice. Cherry and cranberry come through, maybe a touch of blueberry. Lots of complexity, definitely decant. (2126 views)
 Tasted by Tom Warden on 9/6/2013 & rated 94 points: This is absolutely delicious wine...beautiful balance of fruit and minerals...a great winemaker and a great vineyard...could you as for anything more? As good as Kosta Browne's Keefer at a third of the price! (1901 views)
 Tasted by lzelman on 6/16/2013 & rated 93 points: Awesome Pinot. One of my favorites. (1900 views)
 Tasted by Vinophiliac559 on 6/4/2013 & rated 85 points: For me pretty standard pinot, ok nose, strawberries, cherries, and pepper (499 views)
 Tasted by halbri on 3/31/2013 & rated 94 points: 1st night, open in the bottle 2+hours. The whole just shy of the sum of its parts. Stratified, its admirable qualities distinct, not quite integrated. Alcohol here, blueberries there, struggling to coalesce, but missing.

2nd night, after being vacuvined in fridge: unification! It just needed the time to assemble itself into a superbly structured rounded drink, from nose to tongue to hard and soft palate and down the throat where, perfectly-balanced, its goodness lingers for half-a-minute or more. (1932 views)
 Tasted by sayward on 3/25/2013 & rated 92 points: Kingston Dinner 3/25/13 (Fairfield, CT): This wine was decanted for 3+ hours. It is a pretty dark Pinot and still brooding well after it was released from the bottle. The fruit is straight up in your face. You can smell it and taste it. It would be nice to see the sugar move a little bit into the background on this wine. My only nit pick on the wine is that the sugar is almost too prominent. Looking forward to trying again in a year or two or three. (2217 views)
 Tasted by mattyboy_ on 3/13/2013 & rated 93 points: Very perfumed with high aromatic lift. Has gained more depth and weight since I last tasted a year ago. Even the complexity has gone up as well. Drinks like Grand Cru stuff. Will try not to touch my last bottle for quite some time. (1979 views)
 Tasted by ToddS on 3/10/2013: Fabulous young wine. (2064 views)
 Tasted by SMZ on 1/29/2013 & rated 92 points: Beautifully structured. Flavorful and vibrant. Will only get better with age. (1854 views)
 Tasted by gossba on 9/28/2012 & rated 92 points: flavorful pinot - cinnamon and blackberry (2581 views)
 Tasted by wineberg on 8/26/2012 & rated 92 points: Notes consistent with the last bottle. Needs a decant, and I think it's better the next day. I've probably drank about a half case of this already, and I've enjoyed it every time. (2681 views)
 Tasted by wineberg on 3/31/2012 & rated 92 points: Tasting again and doing this note after it's been open for a day.

Still very good today. Some of that nice Pinot funk on the nose, along with some blueberry, anise, cola. Palate has nutmeg, berries, meat, mushroom? Very light, smooth tannins...nice balance, 30+ second finish that dances around the mouth. (3086 views)
 Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine...

Professional 'Channels'
By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Sonoma...A Thrill a Minute (Jul 2013)
(Failla Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley) Subscribe to see review text.
By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2012, IWC Issue #162
(Failla Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley) Subscribe to see review text.
By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/19/2012)
(Failla Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch) Medium cherry red color; floral, rosehips nose; rosehips, floral, tart red fruit, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (no whole cluster)  91 points
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Failla

Producer website

2010 Failla Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch

2010 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Keefer Ranch (700 cases produced)
As always, the fruit was destemmed into open-topped fermenters and punched down twice-a-day, before aging sur-lie in French oak barrels, 1/3 new. Epitomizing the Russian River Valley "terroir ", the '10 Keefer carries the mantle of the highly-decorated '09 with dizzying aromas of baking spices, black current, sous-bois, licorice, and marzipan. Lush, silky texture and juicy fruit belie the structure of this wine's present tannins. We suggest mushroom risotto (think Chanterelles or Portobellos), and rich game bird pairings. Will age well for 7-10 years.

Pinot Noir

Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.


Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.

Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.

The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.

Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.

In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.

With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.

Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.

Keefer Ranch

Details on weinlagen-info

USA

American wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

California

2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson

Sonoma County

Mendocino County

Russian River Valley

Russian River Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia

 
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