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1999 Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyards 7 Acre Pommard

(updated 2/28/02)

2000 (Rex Hill North Block)
2000 (Bethel Heights Wadenswil Clone)
2000 (Stoller Vineyards Clone 115)
1999 | 1998 (Ridgecrest Vineyards 7 Acre Pommard)
1999 | 1998 (Bethel Heights Southeast Block)
1999 | 1998 (Jacob-Hart Vineyard)

Chehalem 1999 Ridgecrest Vineyards 7 Acre Pommard Pinot Noir

The Wine

This wine is very limited and is a result of ongoing experimentation between Chehalem and two close friends at Bethel Heights and Rex Hill. Since 1998 the three wineries have exchanged fruit from key vineyard blocks, making wines that, when assembled into a 3 by 3 tasting array, give insight to the relative influences of terroir, winemaking style and, replicated over several years, vintage. The concept is that vineyard distinctions are important determinants in wine quality, but that winemaking style can often mask nuance site differences. With three different approaches, even the same vineyard can reflect differently. This is the second of three consecutive vintages in which we deviated from our Estate Bottled Only philosophy to learn more.

The Vineyard

Our own Ridgecrest Vineyards contribution to the experiment is from our 7 Acre Pommard block, the second-oldest Pinot noir block we own, planted by us in 1983 on a very shallow bench mid-way in the eastern side of the vineyard. Ridgecrest is the first vineyard planted on Ribbon Ridge Road, a currently trendy viticultural area subsequently attracting Beaux Freres, Brick House, Patricia Green (of Torii Mor), Archery Summit, Adelsheim and several non-winery associated vineyards. It is on the Willakenzie soil series, a transition soil between volcanic and sedimentary, carrying characteristics of both. Wines typically reflect a more briary, deeply colored and dusty blackberry or cassis aspect. The vineyard was begun in 1980 by Harry and Judy Peterson-Nedry.

The Vintage

The 1999 vintage is the second of three excellent vintages in a row. A great year for white wines because of retained acidity, Pinot noir also benefited from good structure and good ripeness, making the vintage good for aging. Some vineyards were exceptional in the vintage, others very good. Ridgecrest Vineyards excelled, with extremely low tonnage of 1.4 tons/acre yielding a density of fruit and structure unparalleled to-date.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested 10/16/99 @24.0 brix, 7.7 g/L acid and 3.36 pH

Fermentation:

Fermented with indigenous yeasts with 15 days total skin contact, 8 days of that pre-maceration; acidulated with 0.5 g/L; pectolytic enzyme used for uniform extraction; yeast food added; no post maceration

Cooperage/Aging:

Aged for 11 months with one racking in 1/3 new, 1year and 2 year French oak

Clonal Selection:

Pommard clones

Bottling:

Bottled 9/20/00 with no fining and no filtration

Bottling Analyses:

Cases Produced:

Suggested Retail:

$39

Release Date:

February, 2002

Winemaker's Comments

A big wine, as you'd expect from Ridgecrest in 1999. Great acidity and structure, with a tightly wound fruit component of dusty blackberry, licorice, ripe red plum. There is a weighty emollience bordering on velvet, but with a layer of fine tannin as underpinning, hopefully for aging. Alcohol is there, but the wine is still balanced, by virtue of the big, sweet fruit. As good as we've done from the 7 acre block.