Fort Ross 2002 Pinot Noir Reserve

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. Shortly after pressing, the wines are aged in 100% French oak barrels, both new and used. 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:
Swirling rose petals, wisps of smoke and wet earth. Then the lush red fruit, touched with violets, sassafras and teasing spices that enhance the native minerality of the vineyard. Suffused with deep ruby color, this full bodied, well structured and balanced wine has a lingering finish and a delicate tannin and acid balance to age with elegance and distinction. Our 2002 Reserve Pinot Noir is primarily composed of old Burgundian field selections originating from Vosne-Romanée and Pommard and reflects this remarkable vintage that is considered the finest ever in California Pinot Noir.