Nose
This Sonoma Stage Vineyard Pinot Noir has aromatic layers of wild strawberries,
red currants, brambly fruit, and toasted brioche.
Palate
On the palate, strawberry tartlet
couples with raspberry coulis, dried cherries, smoked Peking duck, and a touch of toasted vanillin. All of these elements burst from this wine with a textured, round mouthfeel and long-structured finish.
Growing Conditions
The 2019 vintage was a near perfect growing season. Bud break began in late March, leading to a Spring that had few showers and was relatively dry. Summer was also quite warm and long, followed by a warm Autumn harvest season. This consistent weather encouraged our Pinot Noir grapes to ripen into early-October.
Harvest
The fruit was harvested on September 25, 2019.
Bottling
Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Winemaking
Upon hand harvesting in the early morning hours, the grapes were carefully destemmed and sent to tank for a whole-berry fermentation. The grapes were cold-soaked allowing for increased color, aroma, and flavor extraction. After inoculation with a select yeast, the grape must (juice, skins, and seeds) fermented at 78˚F, which allowed for a hot extraction on the skins.
Aging
This small lot was aged in French oak barrels (35% new) for 14 months.
