2016 Thale's Vineyard

93 Points: Wine Enthusiast

93 Points: Wine Review Online

90 Points: Wine Advocate

A bit warmer than average, the 2016 growing season proved to be a very good one, with near-perfect conditions for growing Pinot Noir. A well-timed cool spell in August slowed ripening down, enabling the fruit to develop evenly to full maturity without sugars being too high. Blocks A, D, E, and G went into this Pinot Noir and were picked on different days from August 31st to September 12th, of 2016. The fruit was ripe and pristine when it came through our doors.

Our Thale’s Vineyard is located in the northernmost part of the Russian River Valley in an area known as the Middle Reach. Named after Steve MacRostie’s wife, Thale(pronounced Thay-lee), this has been MacRostie’s estate vineyard since 2013. The roughly fourteen-acre property is partitioned and planted as eleven different blocks. Each block varies in clone, aspect, soil type, and year planted, offering great complexity and blending opportunities from the property.

• composition:

  100% Pinot Noir

• alcohol: 14.30%
• bottling date: 07/31/2017
• aging:

  Aged 10 months in French oak, 32% new, and 20% one-year-old

• fermentation:

  Gently desteemed into open-top fermenters; three day cold soak; cap management included pump-overs & punch-downs