Pinot Noir

2014 Pinot Noir 

SOLD OUT
Price: $22 (500 ml)
Production: 70 cases

Wonderfully subtle and fruity, the Pinot Noir 2014 is a unique blend of two clones of Pinot Noir grown on two different mesas in the North Fork Valley. The two lots were field blended and fermented together, then aged almost three years in old French oak. With nuances of plum, violet, brandy, and wild mushroom, the 2014 pairs well with lighter meats and all mushroom dishes. However, the 2014 Pinot Noir finds its true soulmate in the earthy chanterelle, which is found in the mountains not far from our vineyards.

Pairs with: Acorn Squash Ravioli with Rosemary Cream Sauce

In the Vineyard
The 2014 season was cool with a moderate winter and slight late frost. Throughout the summer, warm temperatures during the day were balanced by our cool alpine nights. The vines on both vineyards carried a full crop to ripeness, though the Garvin Mesa vineyard ripened slightly faster than the Sunshine Mesa vineyard. Grapes from both vineyards were harvested slightly early on October 8th and 9th, just before a dip in temperature throughout the valley, and underwent a 24 hour cold soak before inoculation.

In the Cellar
For the Pinot, we disassembled a portion of our crusher to allow destemming without crushing the berries, giving us what looked like vats of blueberries waiting for their yeast. The resulting whole berry fermentation took longer to complete, but preserved the delicate berry aromas the vineyard had given us.

Brix: 22.5
pH: 3.3
Total Acidity: 7.65 g/l
Flavor very delicate, seeds fully ripe, juice temp 55 F.

The fermentation temperatures peaked at 65 degrees, again preserving the berry aromas. As each fermentation finished, it rested for a 6 day cold soak to extract additional flavor components. The finished wine was pressed directly to a blend of new and neutral French oak barrels and aged for almost 3 years. In August of 2016, we bottled and the wine was held for 10 months of bottle age before an Summer 2017 release.