Appellation: Chamisal Vineyard, Edna Valley
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Clones: Pommard, 113, 114, 115, 777, 667, 2A, 828
Oak treatment: 13 months in 40% new French oak
Alcohol: 14.5%
Cases made: 1,830
Release date: June, 2008
Retail price: $38. Buy

$38. Buy

THE VINEYARD
Chamisal was the first vineyard planted in the Edna Valley in 1973 and now contains 80 acres planted to 5 varieties and 25 clonal selections. The nearby Pacific ocean creates a long temperate growing season for exceptional hang time, which combines with the calcareous, clay-rich soil to produce fruit with exceptional intensity and complex flavors.

VINTAGE
Global warming’s effects on grape growing can certainly make winemaking even more interesting…. The Central Coast endured a cold and wet spring in 2006, which gave us a late bud-break, followed by a long cool growing season, and capped by a very late harvest. Natural low yields coupled with slow, consistent ripening produced brilliant fruit of great intensity and exceptional balance.

WINEMAKING
For our Estate Pinot, we utilized Organic and California-lite Biodynamic™ farming, high-density planting, VSP trellising and aggressive shoot, leaf and fruit thinning. We carefully picked our grapes at night, shorting by hand, de-stemming 80% and retaining 20% as whole clusters. We used Native and Assmanhausen yeasts, cold soaking 2 to 5 days, followed by 7 to 10 day ferments in 4- and 7-ton, open-top fermenters and 2 to 3 punch downs per day. We aged this vintage for 13 months in 100% French oak (40% new).

CLONAL SELECTION
We crafted our 2006 Estate Pinot Noir from 8 different clones: Pommard, 113, 114, 115, 777, 667, 2A and 828.

TASTING NOTES
Toasted brioche and Chamisal spice notes waft from the glass to complement the strawberries with cream, mandarin, and black cherry fruit flavors of our Estate Pinot. Dense, mouth-filling and well-structured, this youthful wine finishes cleanly framed by refined oak and grape tannins, and promises to age gracefully.