92 Points: Virginie Boone Wine Enthusiast - 12/31/2018

"The pale to medium ruby colored 2015 Pinot Noir Manzana Vineyard has an earthy nose of forest floor, fungi and truffles over a black cherries and black raspberries core plus a waft of mocha. Medium to full-bodied with plenty of black berry and earthy characters and a plush texture, it finishes long and fruity. 181 cases produced."

The 2016 vintage started out with an early bud break followed by a warm growing season. Just when we were about to start picking, we had a cool spell in late August. Thishelpedslow things down and spread out the harvest. With no threat of rain in sight, we hand harvested the grapes exactly when we wanted to in the cool evening hours of September 17th, 2016

The grapes for this Pinot Noir came exclusively from Manzana Vineyard, which is farmed by the renowned Dutton Family. The Duttons have been growing grapes in Sonoma County—specifically the Russian River Valley—for generations. Because they are known for their meticulous farming and consistent quality vintage after vintage, their fruit is highly prized. Manzana is located in Green Valley, a sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley known for its cool temperatures. For Pinot Noir, this unique climate results in deeper colors and intense aromatics. The best barrels from Manzana Vineyard were used to make this wine, with each specifically selected for its unique and ideal traits.

• composition:

  100% Pinot Noir

• alcohol: 14.40%
• cases made:

  19 Barrels
  464 Cases

• bottling date: 08/01/2017
• aging:

  Aged 10 months in French oak, 32% new

• fermentation:

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

The warm 2013 season provided ideal temperatures and growing conditions at Thale’s Vineyard. To counter the robust youthfulness of the vines, we thinned the crop to just 2 tons per acre. This ensured that the vines stayed healthy and strong while yielding a wine with rich tannin. The fruit for this blend was predominantly Clone 667 grapes from the vineyard’s prized Block B, with the remaining grapes being Clone 2A from Block A. Both blocks were picked on August 27th.

Located just off Westside Road, and surrounding our beautiful MacRostie EstateHouse, Thale’s Vineyard is situated in the far northern part of the Russian River Valley. Named after founder Steve MacRostie’s wife, Thale (pronounced Thay-lee), the vineyard’s14 acres of Pinot Noir feature four different clones: 667, Pommard, 23, and 2A. Predominantly planted in 2009, Thale’s Vineyard features both valley floor and hillside blocks. The site yields a rich and ripe expression of Pinot Noir with great color and rich tannin.

• composition:

  100% Pinot Noir

• alcohol: 14.6%
• bottling date: 02/23/2015
• aging:

  Aged 16 months in French oak, 50% new

• fermentation:

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