Our Pinot Noir is sourced from eight small vineyards located in the heart of the Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma County, CA. The clones are Dijon clones 667 & 777 with a very small amount of 115 in the mix. Our goal when producing our Pinot Noir is to find the balance of fruit, structure, acidity and oak. We use only French Oak and around 40% new from a mix of cooperages from around France. We barrel-age our Pinot for 16-18 months, which is a little longer than most producers. It allows the wine to soften and the oak to fully integrate.

AVA

The Russian River Valley is named for the river that meanders through the territory creating cool temperatures and thick foggy mornings, which are ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The cool mornings help the fruit retain its natural acidity giving the wine a crisp juicy taste. Late in the afternoon, the fog burns off and temperatures rise allowing the fruit ripen, developing their big fruit flavors. Russian River Valley is truly one of the most amazing places on the planet to grow grapes!

Varietal

Pinot Noir is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis Vinifera. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The word pine eludes to the grape variety having tightly clustered, pine cone-shaped bunches of fruit. Pinot Noir is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. The grape's tendency to produce tightly packed clusters makes it susceptible to several viticultural hazards involving rot that require diligent canopy management. The thin skins and low levels of phenolic compounds lends Pinot to producing mostly lightly colored, medium-bodied and low-tannin wines that can often go through phases of uneven and unpredictable aging.

• Pinot Noir is the 10th most planted grape variety in the world
• Pinot Noir is over 1000 years older than Cabernet Sauvignon
• Germany is the 3rd largest producer of Pinot Noir after France and the US