Nose
Beautiful fruit aromas of dark cherry, wild berry and plum overlay a background of toasted wood, sage and cardamom. At the same time, anise, smoke and earth notes add the complexity that defines great Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
Palate
The mouthfeel is polished and lively, with layers of berry pie, black licorice and mocha supported by a silky, yet delicate texture that carries through to a ripe, generous finish.
Growing Conditions
This Pinot Noir is made using grapes from the acclaimed Dutton Ranch located in the Russian River Valley appellation. Nestled in the cool, foggy hills above the Russian River Valley in Western Sonoma County, our Pinot Noir block is perfectly located on an east-facing slope with shallow soils and full sun exposure. Yielding approximately 2.5 tons/acre of clones 667, 777 and 115 Pinot Noir, this impeccably farmed vineyard is the perfect place for Sonoma-Loeb’s journey into making world-class Pinot Noir.
Harvest
In many ways, 2011 was more of a classic “Burgundian-style” growing season than what we usually expect in California. The unusually mild temperatures particularly favored cool-climate grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, providing greatly extended hangtime, while still allowing the fruit to preserve lovely natural acidity. Throughout the season, we worked closely with our growers to thin the crop to appropriate levels and opened up the canopy for more sun exposure. As a result, our first blocks of Pinot Noir began coming in to the winery with perfect ripeness on September 26—a week before the first rains. The few blocks that were not harvested before the rain were allowed to remain on the vine for five sunny days before being picked. The grapes were at ideal maturity, producing dark colors and concentrated berry fruit elements. To enhance their soft-tannined structure, we applied additional punch downs and allowed more time on the skins.
Winemaking
Grapes from the 2011 vintage were gently placed in open-top fermenters and fermented using only indigenous (wild) yeast.
Aging
The wine was aged for 11 months in French oak barrels.
