Another very easy choice, this is an unmatched quality/value Pinot Noir from the Russian River that has precisely the touch of extra sunshine we were looking for, but without ever losing precision, freshness or focus. Make no mistake, Hartford Court is one of the best producers in Sonoma and this wine is an absolute steal. 15 miles from the cool Pacific coast, Hartford Family Winery is located in the Sonoma County town of Forestville. Based on a passion and appreciation for the wines, the people, and the unique vineyards near their Russian River Valley home, the estate was founded in 1994 by Don and Jennifer Hartford. They specialise in making wines from single vineyard sites. In recent vintages, they have made 25 different single vineyard bottlings. The scale is small and low-yielding, with their single vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays totalling between 93-800 cases. The single vineyard range delivers expressive and personality-rich wine. The wine is characterised by the challenging terrain the vines are grown on, “Character through adversity” is an expression that Hartford Court believe applies to people and grapevines and surviving adversity builds character and personality of which the wine has plenty. The 2018 Hartford Court Russian River Valley Pinot Noir comes from a collection of small vineyards located throughout the Russian River Valley AVA. The sites express the essence of the Russian River Valley by showcasing the best of the terroir. Hartford Court has a real focus on Pinot Noir and in many years they make about 15 different varietals using fruit from Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Green Valley, Carneros, Anderson Valley, Marin and Oregon appellations. WE think is one of their best, a true classic.