94 Points                               
Another beautiful small-production Pinot Noir from Walter Hansel who continues to make a small amount of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay down the road from Kistler, at unbelievably sane prices.  Stock up while available.

92 Points Vinous:  "The Walter Hansel 2022 Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard is quite dark and brooding in feel. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather, lavender, game and mocha add to an impression of somber intensity. Give this a year or two to soften. Clone 777 Pinot yields a wine of notable breadth here."

91 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The Walter Hansel 2022 Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard is entirely from the 115 clone and pours a darker ruby/magenta color. Raised in 24% new French oak, and the rest in one-year-old François Frère barrels, the wine is toasty with notes of incense, scorched forest floor, ripe black cherries, and a touch of licorice. Medium-bodied, it fills the palate with ripe tannins and a juicy feel, its toasty spice lasting on the finish. It’s going to have a wide drinking window over the next 5-6 years. 511 cases produced."

...Some of the best values in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir emerge from Stephen Hansel’s winery in the Russian River Valley.  All of the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are bottled unfiltered.  This is a source for very fine Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs at some of the most realistic prices to be found in Northern California."