Press Room

Bela’s Selection Pinot Noir Reviews

Score: 89 | July 1, 2021 | Wine Enthusiast

Thick and richly robust in baked red fruit and cola, this hearty, full-bodied wine shows generous tannin and oak around a core of ripeness and fruit. Virginie Boone

Score: Best of Class - Double Gold | September 24, 2018 | Harvest Fair, Sonoma County
Score: 90 | November 1, 2018 | Wine Enthusiast

Big tense layers of flavor dip into wild mint, strawberry and black cherry in this intense full-powered red. Cola and baking spice round it out and contribute complexity and length. 

Score: 91 | April 27, 2018 | Wine Advocate

Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Bela's Selection is scented of black raspberries, crushed black cherries and wild blueberries with touches of garrigue, baking spices and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied and plushly textured with plenty of freshness supporting the spicy flavors, it finishes with a peppery lift. 

Score: 90 | April 18, 2018 | Wine & Spirits

A blend from two vineyards in the Sebastopol Hills, this wine presents red fruit surrounded by black, mineral-inflected tannins. It feels bound up and austere, and while those tannins are unrelenting, even with a few days of air, they would stand up well to a grilled sirloin steak. 

Score: 93 | June 1, 2017 | Wine Enthusiast

 Juicy, fresh and lively, this is a light-bodied effort with a big presence on the palate in terms of rich mouthfeel and velvety tannin. Blueberry, cherry and a pronouncement of forest floor play well together to offer both savory and fruit-tinged sweet. —V.B. 

Score: 90 | March 31, 2017 | Wine Spectator

Exhibits complex spicy cherry and raspberry flavors, with loamy earth details and a crushed rock minerality adding texture and flavor. Ends with a long, persistent finish. 

Score: 94 | February 3, 2017 | Wine & Spirits

Brian Maloney makes this pinot noir primarily from three vineyards in the cool Sebastopol Hills, sites defined by thin soils, steep slopes and windy weather. This feels like the quintessence of Russian River Valley fruit: a lush, satiny, perfectly formed red cherry flavor that goes on and on, presenting the region’s richness with admirable subtlety. A day of air only clarifies its refinement, bringing out a deliciously crunch, near-mineral freshness — think wild cherry skin. It may take on more complexity with four or five years of age but it’s hard to resist right now. 

Score: Gold | January 28, 2016 | American Fine Wine Competition