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2000 Ridgecrest Vineyards Pinot Noir

(updated 01/17/03)

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The Wine

This wine is one of three vineyard-designated Pinot noirs we produce. Chehalem has made a Ridgecrest Vineyards Pinot noir since its first release in 1990, with selected barrels going to an upper-end elegant Rion Reserve from Ridgecrest and several not hitting the mark being designated 3-Vineyard. It is characteristically brawny, briery, dusty black-fruited, and occasionally currant or cassis. Deep sweet fruit has been balanced with fine tannin structure in recent years, which, with good acidic structure, gives good ageability.

The Vineyard

Our oldest estate vineyard, Ridgecrest is a 37-acre vineyard on a 72- acre property. Beginning in 1980, this site pioneered grapegrowing on Ribbon Ridge, a small ridge on the western end of the Chehalem Range and Valley. Soils are Willakenzie, a transition soil series exhibiting characteristics of both volcanic and sedimentary underlying structures. The rich, supple black cherry and blackberry fruits are characteristic of Ridgecrest Vineyards and the Willakenzie soil series. Excellent acidity and a finesseful texture and finish are hallmarks of the vineyard site, being relatively high in elevation, mature in vine age and deeply rooted. Wines are very ageable.

The Vintage

Vintage 2000 was our third great vintage in-a-row, providing full ripeness and excellent weather throughout the growing season and through harvest. The average to one week early harvest, September 29-October 26, saw only 1.09 inches of rain. Fruit quantities were bountiful, permitting crop thinning to obtain ideal croploads of 2.50 tons/acre for Pinot gris, 2.55 for Chardonnay and 2.31 for Pinot noir. White wine characteristics are between 1998's round fleshiness and 1999's crisply structured ageability. Red wines benefit from less extreme extraction at Ridgecrest than the prior two vintages, thanks to normal croploads of 2.49 tons/acre and improved and excellent quality from the other vineyards. The overall quality in the Pinot noir cellar exceeds 1999 and is similar to 1998.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested 10/7-16/2000, 83 % from the Babies Block planted in 1989, harvested at 2.5 tons/acre @23.0-24.1 brix, 6.7-8.0 acid and 3.14-3.25 pH

Fermentation:

Fermented completely with native yeasts in fermentations of 11-18 days total skin contact, with 7-10 days of that pre-maceration; no acidulation; pectolytic enzyme used for uniform extraction; no post maceration

Cooperage/Aging:

Aged for 12 months without racking in 44% new (6 coopers from 6 forests), 66% new + 1year French oak

Clonal Selection:

Pommard (62%) and Wadenswil clones (38%)

Bottling:

Bottled 11/27/01 without fining or filtration

Bottling Analyses:

14.1 % Alcohol, 3.45 pH, 5.7 g/l acid

Cases Produced:

1455

Suggested Retail:

$39

Release Date:

August, 2002

Winemaker's Comments

Very much in the traditional Ridgecrest mode, this is a sizeable pinot, full of red and black fruit, sweet, long and well-structured. This is as "pretty" as a big boy can get and still play macho games. The red/deep garnet color is dark and brilliant, sweet wood and cherry/berry aromatics play on the nose, and flavors are rich, round and impressively chewy. Round, yet structured with good acid and moderate tannin structure, this should be a great ager. It can use more time in bottle to flesh out and lengthen. Integration is seamless already, and the fruit shows great purity, with spice overtones that will add even more complexity with time. Classic Ribbon Ridge fruit, classy Ridgecrest wine.

Quotes

Wine Spectator, October 2002: 90 Points. Fresh tasting and airy in texture, with lovely raspberry and currant flavors that unfold gently and echo beautifully on the fine-grain finish.

Wine & Spirits, October-December, 2002: 91 Points. (full Review in December 2002 issue)