2014 PINOT NOIR, MONTEREY

This Pinot Noir has vibrant, medium garnet color with medium viscosity evidence by slow falling legs. The aromas are black and rainier cherries with slight earth and black pepper notes. The palate is full with ripe cranberry, sweet and sour cherry flavors and is wrapped in exotic spice flavors such as star anise and cinnamon and fold into a blanket of integrated French oak, vanilla finish.

The grapes for this wine are sourced in Monterey near King City and on the West side foothills of the lower Santa Lucia Highlands Range (a bit South of Santa Lucia Highlands proper). The blend is comprised of Clones 115, 2A and Pommard 4. Each clone is harvested and fermented separately to achieve the best expression of each and then used in the final blend. We perform a 72 hour cold soak to the grapes prior to inoculating. The wine ferments over 7 - 10 days and we cold soak on the back-end too, from 24-72 hours depending on the vintage (2013 was 36 hours for those keepign score at home). After determining the wine is dry, we drain the tank and press gently and then rack the wine directly into the oak for comletion of ML (Malo-Lactic fermentation) and againg for at least 9 months. We tend to not rack, because we like our Pinot Noir to ride the wave between oxidation and reduction.

This wine pairs well with duck confit over an arugula salad with toasted pine nuts and shaved fennel dusted with black pepper. It's nice with a baked goat cheese tart in a scratch made crust with sundried tomato paste.