"Califa" is the Modoc Indian term for "prettiest one", and that's what these wines are to us. These bottlings are blended from the most opulent, seductive and powerful barrels of the vintage. The Califa wines are the result of stringent tastings and evaluations to ensure that these few bottles truly are the most intense and flavorful wines of the vintage.
Appellation: Chamisal Vineyard, Edna Valley
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Clones: 114, 667, Pommard
Oak treatment: 14 months in 60% new French oak
Alcohol: 15.1%
Cases made: 580
Release date: June, 2009
Retail price: $60.
Buy
$60.
BuyTHE 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
2007 started out so cold, with temperatures as low as 9º F, that our usual bud break was delayed by about two weeks. Spring came on dry and warm, which helped to reduce disease pressure and allowed for strong vine development. The best part was a long, consistent summer that brought on exceptional ripeness without sugars spiking from dehydrated grapes.
WINEMAKING
The name Califa means “most beautiful one” in a local native language, and each barrel of the vintage is tasted many times after fermentation to select the most opulent and terroir-driven wines for this designation. Our grapes were harvested between October 2nd and 6th, hand-picked at night to retain their delicate and complex flavors. Each block of Pinot Noir was gently hand-sorted, then de-stemmed into small open-top fermenters, where they cold-soaked for several days before the native yeasts took hold and started fermentation. The cap was punched down by hand periodically throughout the process. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 14 months in 60% new French oak barrels.
CLONAL SELECTION
Our 2007 Califa Pinot Noir is a selection of our three most exceptional clones. The Pommard, 114 and 667 clones are all grown in spur-pruned blocks, whose low yields give great concentration to the flavors of the grapes and provide the firm structure of the wine.
TASTING NOTES
The Califa Pinot Noir showcases the best our Chamisal vineyard offers, with a complex nose of sweet berries and plums and a palate layered with powerful black fruit, chocolate and subtle oak spice. The rounded acidity and fine-grained tannins carry the seductive flavors through the lingering finish and add to the plush overall mouthfeel. Tightly focused, this is a hedonistic Pinot that wows the senses.
