WINEMAKER NOTESThe Pinot Noir clones harvested from Las Brisas Vineyard are the UCD 5 and Swan clones. The grapes were hand sorted before being open bin fermented for 16 days. In Burgundian winemaking fashion, we put 25% whole cluster Pinot Noir bunches in the fermenters, then destemmed on top of them. Manual punch downs during a warm fermentation provided increased flavor and color extraction. The whole cluster inclusion creates a textured mid-palate, with subtle peppery notes. This small lot was aged in French oak barrels (35% new) for 10 months.
THE VINTAGEThe breezes (las brisas) blowing off the San Pablo Bay in Carneros make the Las Brisas Vineyard ideal for growing Pinot Noir grapes. In 2017, these cool breezes were necessary for the development of the grapes during some summer days of higher heat. The fruit reached an early maturity but with exceptional flavors and the grapes were harvested on September 5th, 2017.
Download File Download High-Res Bottle Photo (jpg) Download Low-Res Bottle Photo (png) Download Wine Tasting Notes (pdf)