Nose
The nose begins with intense blackberry and black cherry fruit balanced with pinot spice.
Palate
The mouth carries this fruit into a generous mouthfeel and texture layered over some forest floor and cedar. Some restrained toasty oak rounds out the package that keeps giving fruit all the way through the long bright finish.
Growing Conditions
The Pinot Noir from our Rust Rock Vineyard shows highly distinctive characteristics vintage after vintage. The outstanding flavors and textural qualities of this unique terroir prompted us to create this single-lot bottling. Comprised of shallow, rocky, volcanic soils situated on the uppermost hillside at the northwest end of our Circle Bar Ranch vineyard, the Rust Rock Vineyard produces wines with elegant fruit characteristics and silky mouth feel.
The 2014 growing season got off to an early start with budbreak about two weeks earlier than average. A late winter weather system brought in enough rain to supply the vines through bloom, and mild warm spring weather gave us good fruit set. Mild weather through the growing season without rain events or heat spikes was optimal for the development of the fruit. The early spring brought on an early harvest with average size yields of excellent fruit. This is looking to be an outstanding vintage.
Winemaking
Individual vineyard lots were destemmed, partially crushed and cold-soaked for 2 days to extract color and flavors. Three times a day punchdown or pumpover schedule was tailored to each lot to extract the fruit characters.
Aging
Aged in French oak barrels with 40% new oak for 9 months.
Food Pairing
Bold black fruit flavors paired with spice and cedar are a match for dill and juniper berry encrusted smoked salmon. Seared skirt steak with savory blackberry steak sauce or roasted root vegetables with rosemary bring out the herbaceous qualities in this vineyard distinct pinot noir. Pair with a sheep milk cheese such as Pecorino Romano or sharp cow’s milk chesses like Vermont cheddar or nutty Gruyere.
