2020 Pinot Noir

Hawk's Roost Vineyard, Russian River Valley

Tasting Notes

This wine bursts with black cherry cola, raspberry jam, and tangy cranberry layered with cedary notes. The soft tannins lead to a long, spice-infused finish.

Winemaking Notes

We 100% destemmed this harvest but kept the berries mostly whole. We fermented with a selection of several yeasts to help achieve the complex profile we were looking for. During fermentation the wine received gentle pumpovers daily to promote body and color without astringency, and we kept the fermentation cool to retain fresh flavors. The whole berry fermentation accentuated the red fruit profile of this wine.

After fermentation, we pressed the wine lightly off the skins and seeds and put it down to barrel to age. As it aged, we stirred the lees back in once per month (a practice known as battonage in France) to make this a creamy, mouth filling wine. We then then gently racked the wine before bottling.

Aging

Aged in 80% new French Allier barrels, and 20% neutral barrels, for 6 months.

Food Pairing

Flavorful lean meats are good choices for pairing here, such as pork chops or loin with a fruit-based sauce. For vegetarian pairings we recommend experimenting with earthier vegetable dishes using mushrooms, eggplant, lentils, and root vegetables. Butternut squash soup is a great choice with a medium bodied red wine like this.

Wine Specs

100% Pinot Noir

13.9% alcohol

107 cases produced