SONOMA STAGE VINEYARD
Heavily influenced by coastal fog and wind streaming through the Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Stage provides the perfect climate to slowly ripen Pinot Noir. Planted by the renowned Hyde family, this vineyard is situated in Sonoma Coast’s marine influenced micro-climate. The site is quite cool and windy, with nights often blanketed by the protective marine fog layer keeping yields low. Again, demanding low yields in all of our vineyards, the environment naturally presents us with intense small clusters with very little need for additional thinning. |
WINEMAKING
The clonal make up of the wine is 50% Calera and 50% Swan Clones. To maximize complexity and intrigue in the wine, the clones were co-fermented with 10% of the clusters whole. Fermenting with native yeast and minimal cap manipulation, this designate wine preserves the freshness and expressive fruit in this beauty. Pressed at dryness, the wine was aged in tight grain French Cooperage (40% new) and put to rest until bottling.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
The 2008 provides a perfect opportunity to show a wine that is capable of rich, deep flavors while remaining in balance. Deep ruby in color, aromas of cherry, black fruit and earth introduce this wine on the nose. The palate starts out deceivingly simply with pleasant cherry and spice, but these early notes do little to prepare you for the depth of flavor to follow. Blackberry, currant, clove, anise, Bing cherry, and a hint of grapefruit coat the palate in layer upon layer of increasingly rich, powerful and intriguing cycles. The persistence in the mouth is remarkable, with a finish that seems paradoxically to become more and more intense as it lingers.
TECHNICAL
DATA
Released October 2009
50% Calera, 50% Swan Clones Co-Fermented
10% Whole Cluster
Native Yeast Fermentation
40% New French Cooperage
14.2% Alc by Vol
218 Cases Produced |
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