This beautiful Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has a bright, ruby-red color that beckons a first sip. Bright, enticing aromas of cranberry and bergamot bring thoughts of Thanksgiving to mind, which is exactly the feast this lush and expressive wine is fit for. Though the palate is soft and mouth-filling, firm tannins add depth and nuance, making this an extremely versatile and delicious Pinot Noir.
The fruit was gently destemmed into small open-top fermenters, using state-of-the-art equipment and procedures to avoid any pumping of the must. Inoculation with select yeast strains followed a three-day cold soak, and the caps were managed with a combination of pump-overs and punch-downs. After 11 months of aging in exclusively French oak barrels, 27% of which were new and 55% one-year-old, we bottled on August 8th, 2016.
This small parcel of land is planted to three Dijon clones of Pinot Noir: 667, 777, and 115. This provides a field blend of clones that accentuates the complexity of the wine. Harvested by hand in the cool evening hours, the fruit came in the door of the winery pristine, ripe and luscious on September 7th, 2015.
The grapes for this Pinot Noir came from an acclaimed vineyard owned by Bruce Cummings and his family. Located in the Santa Rosa Plains neighborhood of the Russian River Valley, Cummings Vineyard is farmed by renowned grower Charlie Chenoweth, whose meticulous approach ensures balanced vines and consistently stunning fruit.