Nose
This stately pinot noir leads with concentrated aromas of black cherry,
violet and tea leaf.
Palate
The muscular palate is densely packed with flavors of blueberries, black plum,
spice and cola. The lengthy finish is punctuated by firm, grainy tannins and earthy notes of forest
floor.
Growing Conditions
2014 was the third straight outstanding growing season in a row, following the
excellent 2012 and 2013 vintages. Dry winter and spring conditions limited canopy vigor, and a
warm growing season with a lack of extreme heat spikes resulted in prolonged, even ripening
through harvest. The resulting wines possess great site specificity, depth and quality.
Harvest
Hand-harvested; picked at night
Bottling
Unfined and unfiltered; bottled January 2016.
Winemaking
Hand-sorted while still cold from the field; 7% whole cluster inclusion
5-day cold soak, 16 days total maceration
Fermented in small, open-top stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts
Gentle punchdowns and pumpovers
Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
Aging
Aged 15 months in French Oak barrels; 65% new.
Coopers: Cadus, Louis Latour, Francois Frères, Damy, Remond
Appearance
Intense red garnet in color.