Nose
This graceful and elegant pinot noir from Larry Hyde’s vineyard is
aromatic with violets, sage and blueberry.
Palate
The palate, rich with dusty, brooding earthiness,
opens slowly to impressions of ripe currant, blackberry and jammy black fruits. A lengthy
finish is punctuated with brambly notes and fine grained yet firm tannins.
Growing Conditions
: 2009 began with an abundance of spring rain followed by mild, steady
summer temperatures setting the stage for nearly ideal pinot noir and chardonnay growing
conditions. The well‐set fruit ripened slowly allowing for an excellent balance of sugars and
acids to develop. The resulting wines can be characterized as elegant and rich with profound
depth and structure.
Harvest
Hand‐harvested grapes.
Bottling
Unfined and unfiltered; bottled August 2010.
Winemaking
Fermented in small, open‐top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
5‐day cold soak, 15 days total maceration
Hand‐punched cap
Concurrent, spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
Aging
Aged 11 months in French oak barrels; 61% new.
Appearance
Dense black plum in color.