Pey-Marin 2004 Pinot Noir "Trois Filles"

Vintage Notes:
The growing season in 2004 was quite different from many in recent memory. Sure, the winter was cold and wet and replenished our vines. But a warm “false spring” in March got the vines off to a very early start. Normally this would be fine, except that we had very late rains in both May & June when many of our vines were flowering which reduced the pollination of our grape flowers. As a result yields were driven lower than our already paltry levels. Another small “set” meant yield was very low, but vine health was very good with low disease pressure.

Vineyard Notes:
Our “Trois Filles” Pinot Noir comes from two vineyards (seven and fifteen years old) located less than eight miles from the frigid Pacific Ocean in west Marin County so our vines are heavily influenced by its considerable climatic prowess. Surprisingly, our bud break is earlier than neighboring regions, but as the season progresses, our cold weather pushes flowering, “set” and harvest beyond the so-called “cool-climate” districts of Carneros & Russian River. The vineyard terrain is characterized by rolling coastal hills which offer a plethora of microclimates well-suited to this finicky varietal. Its soil profile is largely decomposed marine sedimentary material (sandstone) which drains well and is moderately fertile. We farm these sites incorporating sustainable viticultural practices (compost, hand tilling, ladybugs & cover crops). Marin County’s trademark tiny Pinot Noir berries have very high “skin to juice” ratios, leading to a deeply-colored wine with a broad aromatic spectrum and rich texture. Luckily, our frigid vineyard site gives us naturally high acidity, a hallmark of the great Pinot Noirs of Burgundy.

Winemaking Notes:
Our modus operandi calls for very gentle handling from vineyard to bottle. Our compact Pinot Noir bunches were hand-harvested in two lots; September 9 (25.4 Brix) and 12 (25.8 Brix), hand-sorted, de-stemmed & crushed (with 5% whole berry) and then “cold soaked” for 3 days in small (3 ton), open-top temperature-controlled fermenters. The “cold soak” technique helps gently extract vibrant color and rich flavor - but not alcohol. On Day 4 we allowed fermentation to begin naturally with native yeasts and later inoculated with a cultured Burgundian yeast. Moderate fermentation temperature (85° F) and 1-2 pigeage (punch-downs) per day helped build structure and texture. There were no pump-overs (too rough) and only a very modest acid adjustment (hardly any needed with our west Marin Pinot!). On Day 9 we gently pressed our still-fermenting juice into French oak barriques where it slowly completed primary and secondary fermentations. Our barrels are the very best, air dried for three years, medium toast with toasted heads, sixty percent new and handcrafted by the fabled cooperages of Cadus & Remond. 14 months in barrel with zero racking, zero fining and extensive “sur lie” stirring contributed exotic spiciness and wonderful mouth-feel. After culling one inferior barrel we bottled in January 2006. We call this special wine “Trois Filles” (Three Daughters) as a loving gesture to our three young daughters - they get a real kick out of the label!

Technical Notes:

Appellation:	Marin County
Blend:	100% Pinot Noir (Dijon Clones 115, 667 & 777)
Harvest:	September 9th and 12th, 2004
Details at Harvest:	25.6 ave. Brix, 3.44 pH
Fermentation:	Moderate fermentation temperature (85° F) and 1-2 pigeage (punch-downs) per day
Oak:	14 months in French Oak (Cadus & Remond ) with extensive “sur lie” stirring
Alcohol:	14.1%