After an early February budbreak, Sonoma County experienced a relatively mild 2022. The warm autumn weather made for excellent phenolic ripeness. Yields were down slightly, and both berries and clusters were smaller, resulting in greater concentration. A heat wave in September caused some scrambling to bring in earlier ripening varieties, but fortunately for us, we picked our fruit ahead of the record temperatures.
The grapes were picked at night and whole cluster pressed immediately upon arrival. The newly pressed juice was cold settled in tank overnight then racked off heavy solids to neutral oak barrels from the Tronçais forest of central France. The barrels were left to ferment for six months with indigenous yeast. All barrels underwent weekly stirring until a month before bottling to build texture, mouthfeel and complexity.
Sourced exclusively from the Vines and Roses Estate on Olivet Road in the central Russian River Valley (Calera and Eden pinot clones).
“To truly appreciate this vintage you really must take a good look at the hue. This is about as close to perfect as we have come. With a pale, electric pink that shows its true color, the nose is full of bright aromas of raspberry sorbet and hibiscus. The texture is refreshing and delightful with mouthfeel and flavors of fresh strawberry, stone fruit and a touch of melon rind.“
– Winemaker Dan Fitzgerald