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2001 Pinot Noir, Sonoma County

Vintage

2001 may be remembered as a comeback vintage. After cool and late vintages from '98 through '00 we welcomed a warmer, earlier harvest. The growing season began with a late frost that damaged grapes in locations where frost usually isnÕt a concern. Few vineyards were affected but in those few cases, damage was severe. Once over that hurdle the growing season was much improved, bloom saw nearly perfect conditions for fruit set and we had a long, warm summer. Like so many harvests 2001 had its ups and downs - a heat spike in late August and early September drove sugar levels ahead of flavor development and all varieties were looking like they would ripen at once. On September 9th things cooled down through the end of the month which allowed flavors to develop in red varieties and gave time to harvest early reds. On the 1st and 2nd of October the heat came back to push the late reds over the hump. The last lots of grapes were crushed by mid-October to mark the earliest finish since 1997 and with similar quality. Across the board the 2001 vintage produced rich ripe wines with great intensity and structure.

Vinification

Grapes from cooler locations - Sonoma Coast, Carneros, and Santa Maria Valley - tend to yield lower tonnage producing only the most intense fruit. The majority of the lots were cold soaked for two to three days, fermented in closed fermentors and pumped over two to three times per day. The fermentations lasted 12 to 20 days at temperatures in the low 80Õs to low 90's. Wines were aged in American and French oak for at least 15 months. In the summer of 2002 a base blend representing about 60% of the final blend was racked, blended and returned to barrel until final assemblage in February 2003 for bottling in early May 2003. Alcohol 14.5%, Total acidity .57, pH 3.59, Residual sugar, .07.

Tasting Notes

It is round, full bodied, and fairly complex in flavor, with a medium to long finish. In aroma, it smells of plum, vanilla, toasted oak, ripe cherry, and clove. With its evident richness and fruitiness, it can be enjoyed with broiled fish such as halibut, flounder, or swordfish; crab or shrimp Louis (with thousand island dressing); pork tenderloin with cherry sauce; or broiled steak.

Terry Nolan, Winemaker