Our 2016 Pinot Noir is a blend of several Pinot Noir clones grown in the northern section of the famed Carneros, District in southern Napa Valley.  The loam and hillside alluvial soils of these cool-climate sites yield small crops of Pinot Noir fruit with highly concentrated flavors.  Morning fog and cooling afternoon breezes ensure a long growing season and vibrant grape acidity, resulting in rich, beautifully balanced wines.

The 2016 growing season was exceptional.  Ample rain in the spring eliminated the need for irrigation.  The cooler climate allowed the grapes to ripen slowly creating a beautiful balance between the grape sugars and flavors. We harvested our Carneros Pinot Noir grapes the third week of September with an ideal balance of ripe fruit flavors and crisp balancing acidity.

Night harvesting of our Carneros Pinot Noir grapes ensures we fully capture the variety’s fresh acidity, ethereal aromas and complex fruit flavors.  In 2016 we fermented the grapes in small, open-top tanks using a special Burgundian yeast strain, with daily punch downs of the cap to fully extract color, flavor and tannins. Once fermentation completed, the wines were transferred to medium-plus-toast French oak barrels, 60 percent new, where they aged nine months prior to blending and bottling.