Nose
The nose is greeted with intense deep black fruit, spice box and bramble.
Palate
The mouth is full, silky and loaded with concentrated blackberry & black cherry with spice and some forest floor. There is just enough sweet oak to support the fruit & the acidity is bright enough to hold it all together. The finish is full & long, bringing you back for another taste.
Growing Conditions
The growing season of 2015 brought some challenges to our harvest. The spring brought us very early bud break but fortunately no frost. However during bloom the weather turned cold and rainy which resulted in the vines setting a very small crop. Weather through the summer was optimal without any excessive heat spikes or rain events. Between the small crop, the early budbreak & bloom the warm summer the fruit ripened to a near record early harvest. We started picking at the end of July, & while a couple of heat spikes during harvest kept us on our toes, mostly moderate weather allowed us to bring in the fruit at
a reasonable rate. With the small crop & good weather the vines produced grapes with excellent concentration & intense character.
Winemaking
Individual vineyard lots were hand picked, destemmed, partially crushed and cold- soaked for 2 days to extract color & flavors. Three times per day they are on a punchdown or pumpover schedule, tailored to each lot to extract the fruit characters. The wine is then aged for 9 month in 92% French oak and 8% Hungarian oak with 33% new oak barrels.
Food Pairing
This Pinot Noir displays deep black fruit & a spice upfront with a mouthfeel that goes all the way through the finish. Try with pan seared duck breast, roasted quail or grilled lamb. Notable side dishes would be vegetables with a sweet profile such as: carrots, beets, caramelized onions & bell peppers. Pairs beautifully with a wide variety of hard or soft cheeses accompanied by fall fruits, dried fruits & compotes.
