About The Vineyard…
Our Carneros Pinot Noir comes entirely from the Toyon Vineyard, located in the Napa side of Carneros. This vineyard was planted for us in 1998 with cuttings originating from the Swan estate in Sonoma County and Dijon 115 from Burgundy. The Swan cuttings are a mass selection, rather than a single clone, originating from buds hand carried by Joseph Swan from Burgundy in the 1950s and 1960s. It exhibits layers of complexity and a deeper structure with darker flavors than the Dijon clones. The following year we planted Dijon 115 in a block adjacent to the Swan block. It represents approximately 30% of the blend. It brings its characteristic perfume and higher note fruit to complement the dark fruit and structure of the Swan Selection.

About The Vintage...
2013 was a season of generous weather. Adequate winter rain and soil moisture ensured for a nice start to the growing season devoid of early frost. Ideal bloom conditions provided for a uniform fruit set. A summer of consistent temperatures without notable extremes kept the vines functioning optimally without undue stress. Late season warmth ensured nice ripe tannin and color development. In summary, this was a wonderfully cooperative vintage.

About The Wine...
We separated the entire lot into one ton, open-top fermenters, employing traditional punch-downs by hand in order to achieve optimal extraction. About 5% of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters. The wine was aged in an array of French cooperage, nearly half new, and gently racked once prior to bottling. Grapes, must, and wines were moved using gravity through to the barrel and using inert gas through racking and bottling.
1063 cases produced.

Tasting Notes...
Floral notes, aromatic cedar, rose and violet mix with strawberry, and wild cherry. The palate is loaded with lush plum, berry, cola with hints of chocolate and whiffs of toast. The palate is full of textural, mouth-coating tannins balanced with a bright acidity. The chewy tannins, earthy spices and piquant minerality complement the fruit and floral notes. Patience and ability to resist its youthful perfection will pay off over the next few years as the palate continues to develop in opulence revealing darker layers and more earth notes.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD…

Toyon Farm, owned by Ed and Camille Penhoet, is located on a southwest-facing slope on the eastern (Napa) side of the Carneros. The topsoil is dark rich clay, averaging just around 24 inches in depth. These soils promote a dark, brooding fruit, emphasizing texture and tannin. The Toyon designate is now entirely from a block of Pinot noir planted on the north slope of the vineyard. The cuttings, originally from a famous vineyard in Burgundy, come from Ed Penhoet’s River Ranch vineyard planted in the ‘70s. As it is also the original source of the Pisoni vineyard – it is sometimes referred to as “Pisoni Clone” as well as River Ranch selection. This small block has been a work in progress, with much time spent culling out virused vines from the selection, and has very much come in to its own with recent vintages.

ABOUT THE VINTAGE...

2013 was a season of generous weather. Adequate winter rain and soil moisture ensured for a nice start to the growing season devoid of early frost. Ideal bloom conditions provided for a uniform fruit set. A summer of consistent temperatures without notable extremes kept the vines functioning optimally without undue stress. Late season warmth ensured nice ripe tannin and color development. In summary, this was a wonderfully cooperative vintage.

ABOUT THE WINE…

We separated the entire lot into 1 ton, open-top fermenters, employing traditional punch-downs by hand in order to achieve optimal extraction. About 5% of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters. The wine was aged in an array of French cooperage, nearly half new, and gently racked once prior to bottling.  Grapes, must, and wines were moved using gravity through to the barrel and using inert gas through racking and bottling. 164 cases produced.

TASTING NOTES...

A deeper, darker expression of Toyon Farm terroir, this wine produces a perky spiciness that melds effortlessly into a rich palate coating smoothness. Greets with notes of black cherry, exotic all spice, and clove intermingled with Asian plum and lavender and huckleberry.  The brooding palate, dominated by an almost visceral layer of mouth-coating tannins and mid-palate flavors of cherry, Asian plum, strawberry, and orange peel, is balanced with a bright, palate-lifting acidity. It finishes with chewy chocolaty tannins accentuating a firm finish that offers promise for greater things to come.  This deep and balanced wine is structured to age gracefully for ten years or more.

A Historic Vineyard…

In 1966, Pat and Duncan Haynes planted their vineyard to Martini Pinot Noir and Wente Chardonnay. In the 47 years that have passed since then, there have been many significant changes in the science and technology of viticulture. However, not every supposed advance results in an improvement quality. These old school, widely spaced, cane pruned vines have found a most perfect balance point as tended by Fernando Delgado since 1970. He prunes each vine individually, according to its strength and potential, choosing which canes to keep and how many canes and shoots that each vine will grow. There is no technological substitute for this level of knowledge and experience coupled with pure love for the vine and its fruit.

About The Vintage...

2013 was a season of generous weather. Adequate winter rain and soil moisture ensured for a nice start to the growing season devoid of early frost. Ideal bloom conditions provided for a uniform fruit set. A summer of consistent temperatures without notable extremes kept the vines functioning optimally without undue stress. Late season warmth ensured nice ripe tannin and color development. In summary, this was a wonderfully cooperative vintage.

About The Wine...

Before the harvest, Ken and Fernando walk these rows together and mark the most flavorful old vines from the original planting. Only the original and healthiest vines are allowed to be included in this limited pick to produce this very special wine. After the careful vine-by-vine selection in the field, classic Ancien small lot winemaking is performed using one fermenter filled by gravity and punched down by hand.

102 cases produced

Tasting Notes...

With its brilliant garnet color, this wine displays balance, grace, and the most velvety of textures. The palate mirrors the lively nose with initial fruits of strawberry, cranberry, and dried cherry intermixed with blood orange, lilacs, rose petals, and sandalwood. The fruit concentrates on the midpalate somewhat, revealing fresh summer cherries and ripened, cured black cherries. The palate is especially bright and expansive, with a silken texture. It finishes with a light, understated grip, and moves backward through the finish.  The finish continues to evolve toward more earthen and mineral notes, as it coats the entire palate and continues to reveal new aromas.

About The Vineyard...
Dick Shea planted his first vines in the late 80’s, just a few short years after Ken Bernards moved from his birthplace in the Willamette Valley to Napa to work his first harvest. The vineyards have grown, along with Shea’s reputation for quality, and today his vines produce a disproportionately large percentage of the most renowned Willamette Pinot Noirs. Good sedimentary soils, sitting on two well-drained hillsides, along with careful, sustainable farming practices, routinely yield quality, well-ripened fruit in a viticultural area known for wide vintage variation. Both wine makers and wine connoisseurs look to Shea for Pinot Noirs with density, structure, and intense, spicy fruit.

About The Vintage...
Late September rains interrupted what was otherwise a terrific growing year of mild, warm weather. Attentive farming was invaluable in preserving the best the vintage had to offer. The abundance of sun Oregon received throughout the majority of the year produced grapes that held promise of an excellent vintage. Once again Pommard clone is blended with Wadenswil to create the stellar notes our Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir has become known for.

About The Wine...
Ken Bernards returns to the land of his youth, Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Working with fruit grown this far from the winery produces special challenges and requires an extremely high element of trust between the wine maker and the grower. Dick Shea’s farming skills are up to this challenge. This was the last fruit that we harvested. It fermented traditionally in one ton, open top containers using hand punch downs to achieve optimal extraction. Gravity provided movement from reception through pressing with inert gas used from then on. It was aged in François Frères cooperage for sixteen months and racked once in the springtime.

286 cases produced.

Tasting Notes...
Earthy, organic aromas greet you as a hallmark of this wine. The rich, tilled earth is peppered with light toasty notes, dried floral perfumes, clover, rose petal and geranium flower. Generous and ripe, the nose shows plenty of huckleberry and wild strawberry. The broad palate is generous with plum and blueberry which complement mouth-coating, chocolaty tannins. The acid lifts the otherwise dark and deep palate considerably, helping to further emphasize the well-developed tannin and minerality throughout the finish. Balanced, deep, and exceptionally well structured, this wine will cellar nicely for 5-10 years while becoming more silken in texture and adding additional perfumes to its aromatic bouquet.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD…

Gilbert Perez’s two acre vineyard in the southwestern corner of the appellation, only nominally protected by the coastal hills and open to the maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean, is the single source for these grapes. The soils here are sandy loam and very well drained, typical for the Russian River Valley. The cooler sections of Russian River, near Sebastopol, are known for producing explosive and aromatic fruit flavors balanced with acidity and earthy aromas. All seventeen rows are planted with Dijon 115 clones, which tend to add perfumed aromas and light spice notes to the lush fruitiness obtained from the soils.

ABOUT THE VINTAGE...

2013 was a season of generous weather. Adequate winter rain and soil moisture ensured for a nice start to the growing season devoid of early frost. Ideal bloom conditions provided for a uniform fruit set. A summer of consistent temperatures without notable extremes kept the vines functioning optimally without undue stress. Late season warmth ensured nice ripe tannin and color development. In summary, this was a wonderfully cooperative vintage.

ABOUT THE WINE...

We fermented in our one ton, open-top tanks, layering the bottom 25% of each tank with whole clusters of fruit, adding structure and spice notes to the back palate and balancing the otherwise plush fruit of Gilbert’s Vineyard. A warm fermentation with a combination of native and isolated Burgundian yeasts produced excellent and focused flavor extraction, complemented with traditional punch-downs by hand. The wine was aged entirely in Francois Freres cooperage, half new, and racked once, gently, prior to bottling. Grapes, must, and wines were moved using gravity through to the barrel and using inert gas through racking and bottling. 280 cases produced.

TASTING NOTES...

Lightly spiced and fruity aromas of strawberry, cherry, and raspberry mix with fresh herbs as an introduction to this hedonistic blend of fresh fruit and earthy spice. The wine opens to a broad and soft mid-palate of bing cherry, cassis, and strawberry. The palate is elevated and brightened with a refreshing acidity that welcomes this wine to the table. The finish brings out dried fruits, plums, figs, pepper, tobacco, and cinnamon.  The racy acidity and structure of the wine ensures this vintage will develop well over the next decade, revealing sensual subtleties hidden in layers beneath the robust fruit.

About The Vineyard…
The Red Dog Vineyard sits atop Sonoma Mountain on the cool, western side. In 2000 Tom and Debbie Engel planted this vineyard in order to replace the heralded Steiner Vineyard, and we used cuttings from our Mink Vineyard--a proprietary heirloom selection of Swan Pinot Noir. The vineyard is situated on the eastern face of a ridge, and the top is just under 1000 feet elevation. At this height, Pacific currents moving inland through the Petaluma Gap cool the vineyard almost continually. The soils are some of the most ancient soils in Sonoma County and have been leached of nutrients by wind and rain for eons. It is a truly spectacular vista point but a challenging place to grow grapes.

About The Vintage...
2013 was a season of generous weather. Adequate winter rain and soil moisture ensured for a nice start to the growing season devoid of early frost. Ideal bloom conditions provided for a uniform fruit set. A summer of consistent temperatures without notable extremes kept the vines functioning optimally without undue stress. Late season warmth ensured nice ripe tannin and color development. In summary, this was a wonderfully cooperative vintage.

About The Wine...
The grapes were destemmed into our 1-ton, open top fermenters and cold soaked for 4 days. We punched down by hand 4 times per day tapering down as the fermentation progressed. A warm fermentation, peaking about 94°, with additional maceration and skin contact ensured a generous extraction from these stubborn grapes. The wine was aged entirely in French barrels from the Tonnellerie Remond cooperage, and a majority of those barrels were new. The wine was racked once prior to bottling. Until bottling, all wine movements were made by pushing with inert gas. 229 cases produced.

Tasting Notes...
Exotically elegant, the subtle nuances of this wine are followed by a lingering finish. The nose opens to an alluring perfume of candied raspberry, rose hips, and orange peel followed by rich aromas of cigar, cedar, and forest floor. Spiced throughout with cinnamon, lavender, and sage, the fruit expands in the glass and fills the palate with fresh pomegranate, cherry preserve, ripe plums, dried cranberries, and hints of geranium, dried mushroom, clove, and mandarin. The mouth feel is soft and rich, with a considerable acidic lift. Toward the back, it reveals an earthen and tannic strength, and the finish is long and dominated by fine, dry tannins and dried spices and fruits. With age this wine deepens and softens, rewarding the palate, while also exhibiting an even more exotic nose as the bouquet develops. Enjoy the elegant fruit in its youth or cellar for intoxicating development over the next dozen or more years.

About The Vineyard...

The Fiddlestix Vineyard is located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, which straddle the Santa Ynez River as it makes its way to the Pacific Ocean. As an East-West oriented valley, opening its mouth to the cool Pacific breezes, the consistent and cooling marine influence is significant. The vineyard is managed and owned in partnership by Kathy Joseph, who has planted an array of clones and rootstocks on several, varied soils to create a staggering level of diversity from this single vineyard. The remarkably consistent weather, characterized by lower highs and higher lows than our North Coast vineyards, conspires with silica-laden, marine sedimentary soils to make wines of power and exceptional structure. 

About The Vintage...

2013 was a season of generous weather. Adequate winter rain and soil moisture ensured for a nice start to the growing season devoid of early frost. Ideal bloom conditions provided for a uniform fruit set. A summer of consistent temperatures without notable extremes kept the vines functioning optimally without undue stress. Late season warmth ensured nice ripe tannin and color development. In summary, this was a wonderfully cooperative vintage.

About The Wine...

The grapes were 100% destemmed into an open top fermenter and cold soaked for 5 days. We utilized a combination of hand punch-downs and a submerged cap device in order to optimally control extraction from the skins. We fermented with a combination of RC212 and Assmannshausen yeasts, with a peak temperature of 94°F. The wine was aged for 17 months in an array of Francois Frères and Remond cooperage, entirely of Bertrange Oak and a majority new. We held the wine in bottle for nearly a year before release.

242 cases produced.

Tasting Notes...

This is a bold and generous Pinot, rambunctious in its youth with plenty to give over years in the cellar. The nose is densely packed with rich fruits, black cherry, cassis, blackberry, grape blossom, citrus zest, orange blossom, wet slate, cardamom, and blood orange. Intense fresh fruits lead the palate, and the focus settles on ripe flavors of black cherry, cassis, and currants intermixed with holiday spice, cola, and tobacco notes. Brilliant acidity provides brightness and balance while mouth-filling tannins emphasize structure, always a strong suit for this wine. The spicy aromatics continue through the long finish. Cellaring this wine for a decade or beyond will reveal a silky texture hidden beneath layers of strong tannins that dominate its early years.