Producer Article

This wine has a bright, but tightly wrapped nose focused on dark red cherry, pomegranate, Santa Rosa plum, licorice root, toasted grain and vanilla scents. On the palate it is also youthfully firm and is rich in oak-derived spice to compete, at this stage, with the wines core of concentrated red cherry, pomegranate and whortleberry fruit. The finish brings another firming effect, as tannin joins in to further stiffen the structure. It is easy to see that it may take some years for the final personality of this wine to define itself, but the purity of its fruit is already established. It should get ever-better over the next several years.

Wine Specs
Vintage 2008
Varietal Pinot Noir
Appellation Russian River Valley
Harvest Date September 30th at 24.8 degree Brix
Acid 5.6 g/L
Aging 14 Months in French Oak
Fermentation 100% malolatic
Bottling Date November 09, 2009
Alcohol % 14.0%
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes Russian River Valley Rayhill Vineyard: Dijon Clone: 115, 667 & 777
Other Notes The 2008 vintage was one of superior quality. Temperate summer days and cool nights allowed for even ripening. Heat in late August/early September brought on excessive ripening. With a little patience we were able to get past this heat and subsequent cool days and nights put us in that window late in the season that allowed extended hang time. And more importantly we here in Sonoma County were not affected by the fires that that affected Mendocino County vineyards.