2017 Ridgecrest Vineyard Pinot Noir

WINEMAKER’S NOTES

Aromatically, this wine jumps out of the glass with bright red fruit with darker aspects of earth and blackberry bushes. Notes of sarsaparilla, forest floor and mushrooms are elevated by a hint of new oak toast. On the palate, the vibrant acid exposes a lingering essence of dried cherries and spices.

VINTAGE OVERVIEW

The 2017 vintage is one of the most well-balanced of the last five years, with excellent quality of flavor and acidity levels, and yields bearing higher than normal in all varieties. Fruitfulness caused some problems early on from large berries on full clusters, which led to a bit of uneven ripening. Early season powdery mildew, due to a wet spring, led to in-field sorting early in the growing season. By harvest, blocks were in pristine condition. Ideal fall temperatures allowed us to pick based on flavor development.

92 Points - Vinous
90 Points – Wine Spectator
90 Points - Wine Advocate