2006 Napa Carneros Pinot Noir

Analysis

Vineyard: Rasmussen Carneros Estate Vineyard on Cuttings Wharf Road in the Napa-Carneros

Harvest Date: September 20, 2006

Brix at Harvest: 24.7 degrees

Barrels: 40% new, 60% once-used barrels. 80% French, 20% Hungarian oak

Chemistry at Bottling:
pH: 3.71
Total Acidity: 5.2 grams/liter
Alcohol: 13.87%
Free Sulfur Dioxide: 27 parts per million
Total Sulfur Dioxide: 84 parts per million

Bottling Date: August 22, 2007

Production: 1531 cases (12x750ml)

Notes: Of the last ten vintages, I think that 2006 ranks as one of the best—especially for Pinot Noir. All through the summer we had the kind of weather that makes grapevines ecstatic….warm days, cool nights---and no rain. Harvest temperatures were modest, without the heat spikes that we saw in 2003 and 2004, and soil moisture stayed absolutely appropriate for our old dry-farmed vines.

I have now made wine from these grapes for so many years, I have a good idea of what fermentation procedures and techniques bring out the best in them—three or four days of pre-fermentation maceration, a modest fermentation that peaks out at about 85 degrees and then pressing just at, or slightly before, dryness. I continue to back off a bit on the oak; however, after experimenting for several years with small amounts of Hungarian oak, I finally added some new Hungarian barrels to our barrel program. They seem to really bring out the best in Pinot Noir. When you smell this wine you will think of black cherries, mushrooms, licorice, raspberries and vanilla. The taste carries these characters, but adds a rich and round mouthfeel that makes the wine truly a pleasure to drink.

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