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1998 Pinot Noir, Kestrel Vineyard, Oregon

Vintage

Kestrel Vineyard, owned by the Benziger Family Winery, is located in the southern part of Oregon's Willamette Valley. This vineyard, which is farmed using sustainable viticultural practices, is named for the hawk that oversees the vineyard and protects it from vine predators. 1998 has been called by our winemakers " stupendous", ranking it among the best of the last 5-10 Oregon vintages. The warm summer, fairly long fall and overall absence of rain produced very good sugar levels, ripeness and balance.

Vinification

The lots of grapes culled from our Oregon vineyard were matched individually to the size and shape fermenter best suited to its development. The fruit was cold soaked four days for maximum extraction and monitored closely to minimize astringency and promote soft textures. The wine was punched down daily and remained on the skins throughout the 14 day fermentation. The wine was put in oak shortly after pressing to finish secondary fermentation and was stirred weekly for the first month in order to build middle mouthfeel and velvety texture. The wine received a total of 19 months aging in French oak barrels. The wine was bottled in May of 2000. Alc. 13.9%, TA .61, pH 3.53, RS .04. 276 cases were produced.

Tasting Notes

This is a substantial and complex Pinot Noir. Aromas and flavors are of red fruit and raspberry bramble. The velvet mouthfeel and firm structure give way to a long, flavorful finish.