Release Date: Spring 2012

2010 was a cool year overall in Northern California. The weather allowed us to harvest a moderate crop at a leisurely pace, a full month later than normal. The tricky Pinot Noir does well when it ripens slowly under late September skies. In short, this is a great Pinot Noir vintage.

With the blessed coolness, each block was fermented and barrel-aged separately, allowing us to learn more about this beautiful property. We farm a wide variety of selections including 828, Calera, Mount Eden, Swan, 667 and 777 from the Pinot vineyards. All of the fermentations were natural, meaning no added yeast or malolactic cultures. The wine ages in French barrels for twelve months and is bottled without any fining for filtration. This is high risk/ high reward winemaking.

Precise aromas of black raspberry, black cherry and pomegranate combine with a racy texture, generous acidity and flavors of blueberry and earth. If you like Pinot Noir with flavor and backbone, this is your style.

I am very proud of this offering and it shows me the incredible potential of our new site.