Region: Sonoma Coast

Vineyard: Robert's Road

Bottling Date: January 23, 2017

Release: December 1, 2017

Production: 74 cases

Alcohol: 12.40%

Drinking Window: 2018-2023

Winemaking Notes:

The 2015 vintage came toward the end of our long drought in northern California, but the real problem came from erratic weather during flowering in late April and early May. Wild swings from hot and sunny to cold and foggy interrupted the fruit set and in some cases led to greatly reduced crop levels. We were fairly fortunate at Robert's Road, seeing only about a 25% reduction in crop, but this still meant our smallest production of Pinot Noir since the inaugural vintage in 2009, at just 74 cases. The vineyard was harvested on August 31, and hand sorted and destemmed immediately. Fermentation started naturally as the fruit warmed up, and went very quickly, lasting just 5 days. One pumpover per day was used to mix the must, and the juice spent a total of 11 days on the skins before being pressed for ageing in 500L barrels. The wine then underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel, and remained on the lees for about 16 months.

Tasting Notes:

The 2015 Pinot Noir is deep ruby in color, with a hint of purple. The nose is loaded with aromas of fresh flowers, cranberry, raspberry, and mineral. The palate echoes the light fruit flavors, with fresh citrus and a hint of clove. What stands out most about the wine is the integration of the tannin, which makes the wine both structured and velvety at the same time, and gives remarkable length on the finish.