Nose
The 2014 Russian River shows dark cherry, plum and blueberry aromas straight away, with a
floral, rose petal component coming through as the wine opens in the glass.
Palate
The palate is
lush and rich, with intense berry and fresh plum flavors framed by perfectly rounded tannins.
The finish is long and intense, with a slight cranberry note emerging as the dark fruit flavors
continue to linger. Though drinking well already, this wine is showing all the signs of a long
future ahead of it
Growing Conditions
Our Russian River Valley Pinot Noir comes from the Winside vineyard, planted in 1997 by Anne
Moller-Racke and Joe Nugent to 10 acres of Dijon 115 and 667. The natural variations in soil
across the vineyard, along with the blend of clones, results in a complex wine, with richness
from the 667 and elegance and finesse from the 115. Fog from the Pacific generally recedes
fairly early in the day resulting in plenty of sun, but prevailing winds from the west keep this
site cooler in the afternoon, allowing for extended hang time. Starting in 2012 we began to
include some fruit from the Pommard block in the estate blend.
Harvest
The 2014 Vintage marked the third year of drought in California as a whole, although in the North Bay
we were fortunate to receive heavy storms in February and March which replenished the soils and ponds.
The season started early and stayed that way, with mild weather in the spring and warm (but not overly
hot) weather through the summer save for a few heat spikes early in June and July which were far
enough from harvest to cause few worries. A late heat spike in early October provided energy for the
last few blocks, and harvest wrapped up shortly thereafter.
The wines are softer than in 2013, and more accessible in their youth. The vintage evoked some
comparisons to 2004, another early year without too many overly hot days. The vintage’s evenness led
to wines that are well balanced with good acidity, so despite showing well young they should also age
well, as we have seen with the 2004s.
Bottling
The final blend was assembled in
January, 2016, and bottled later that month.
Winemaking
The Winside vineyard was harvested the second week of September, about ten days earlier than usual,
with the fruit in excellent condition and perfectly ripe. After hand-sorting and destemming, the grapes
were gravity fed to tank and underwent a week long cold-soak. Fermentation was slow and drawn out,
lasting nearly a month before the finished wine was pressed-off.
Aging
The wine underwent malolactic
fermentation in barrel, and then aged on the lees for another year.
