2002 Reserve Pinot Noir, Sonoma County
Order This Wine
Vintage
2002
Price
$37
Release Date
May 2005
Appellation
Sonoma Coast
Availability
Winery Direct Only
(800) 989-8890
Vintage
Vintage 2002 started wet, even before the calendar said it was 2002 - we almost had our seasonal average of rain before the New Year Ð with January and February being unusually dry and typically cold. We had light rain at the end of March that slowed down budbreak but without causing any major problems. Unsettled weather through spring kept things interesting. More cool weather in May extended bloom, which could have caused uneven ripening. At the end of May we were about two weeks behind 2001. Veraison began in late July, later than average, but earlier than 1998 and 1999. Moving into the final stages of the growing season we were in pretty good shape considering that our summer had been fairly mild. 2002 was a vintage won in the vineyard, beginning shortly after budbreak with shoot thinning, and on through the season with crop thinning to balance the vines and eliminate any damaged or delayed fruit. This work by our growers allowed us to bring in ripe, uniform, high quality fruit with intense flavors and nice natural acid levels.
Vinification
Our Reserve Pinot Noir reveals the full expression of vintage and varietal. Crafted from select vineyard blocks, only the finest lots receive our Reserve designation. We target vineyard sites that cultivate rich and deeply flavored fruit. Once harvested, the fruit is gently pressed. Punch down and pump over routines are monitored and altered daily through the 8-17 day fermentation. The wine, still maintained in separate lots, is rushed to French oak shortly after pressing to finish secondary fermentation and stirred weekly to intermittently build middle mouth feel and velvety texture. After 17 months barrel aging the individual lots are blended then bottled. Alcohol: 14.5%, Total Acidity: .52, pH: 3.87, Residual Sugar: .07%. 388 cases produced.
Tasting Notes
This Reserve is an excellent version of what it can produce, a rich, fleshy wine, with intense fruitiness, and fine length. It is also very complex, tasting of caramel, toasted oak, baked cherry, plum, vanilla, and tobacco. Very long aftertaste.
Terry Nolan, Winemaker