Fort Ross 2003 Pinot Noir

Vineyard Notes:
Fort Ross Vineyard is primarily a Pinot Noir vineyard in an area that many believe will ultimately shine as brightly as Burgundy. Our Pinot Noir plantings include field selections of Calera, Pommard, and Swan as well as Dijon clones 115 and 777. The vines are planted on a variety of rootstocks, depending on soil types, grafting requirements and rootstock-scion compatibility.

Winemaking Notes:
During harvest, grapes are handpicked in the cool early morning hours, hand sorted, destemmed, cold soaked for several days and fermented in simple open top fermenters and manually punched down. Throughout destemming, fermentation and barreling, clones are kept separate to maintain their distinct flavor profiles and structural components. Blending trials determine how to combine the different clones into distinct wines that best reflect their component flavor profiles. The objective is always to create wines that reveal their fruit with structure, balance and finesse. The wine is unfined and with rare exceptions unfiltered.

Tasting Notes:
A heady bouquet of rose petals introduces an intriguing mix of fruit and spice notes that range from raspberry to ripe black cherry and sassafras. This complex wine is a reflection of the slow ripening during the long 2003 growing season. As the wine rests in the glass, the complex favors continue to evolve and unfold. This well structured, full bodied wine has supple tannins that continue through the powerful and lingering finish.