2018 Thale's Vineyard

94 Points: Virginie Boone Wine Enthusiast Advance Buying Guide - December 2021

"Beautifully aromatic, this wine has lovely layers of cherry, plum and raspberry that meet a continuum of slate and baking spice. A grippy tannin structure provides a foundation of power behind accents of sea spray and lasting acidity."

Because the 2018 growing season was one of the naturally high yields, we worked meticulously to thin the fruit and to bring each vine into ideal balance. The clusters ripened slowly, and in general, 2018 was a late harvest. The grapes from Thale’s Vineyard were harvested on five different days between September 7 and September 26, 2018. A small amount from almost every block was used to create this complex and delicious blend.

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 14-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 site.

• composition:

  100% Pinot Noir

• alcohol: 14.40%
• cases made:

  44 Barrels
  1090 Cases

• bottling date: 08/08/2019
• aging:

  Aged 10 months in French oak, 30% new, 30% one-year-old

• fermentation:

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