Wine Notes > Pinot Noir > Current Release

2007 Wind Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir

(new release May 2009)

The Wine

This wine represents the future, being from the second harvest of our newest vineyard plantings adjacent to Ridgecrest and adjoining both Ribbon Ridge and Wind Ridge Roads. It is a precocious wine that will age well, projecting full Pinot Noir stature, with complexity, color, fruit extraction, and structure as well as the elegance of older vineyards. This is not unusual for initial wines from excellent sites. We will be watching closely to see if in the next few years it weakens slightly, as the vine-centered balance transitions to site and soil balance. Like other Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noirs, it is characteristically brawny, briery, dusty, and black-fruited, with currant or cassis at times, and elegance or rusticity determined by winemaking style.

The Vineyards

Wind Ridge is our newest estate vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, now contiguous to Ridgecrest by virtue of a 12-acre block touching both sites purchased in 2007. It is a 55-acre property, currently planted to Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Grüner Veltliner. Planting began in 2003 and continues today, with 20 acres currently planted. The 14 acres of Pinot Noir include 7+ acres of Dijon clones and 6+ acres of Pommard clone. Spacing is 2,200 plants per acre and vines are planted on 3309 rootstock. Soils are in the Willakenzie series, including Bellpine, Wellsdale, and other well to moderately drained ocean sedimentary soils. Excellent acidity and a finesseful texture and finish, despite sizeable extraction capabilities, should be hallmarks of the vineyard. Being relatively high in elevation at 500 to 600 feet, once mature, vines from this site will be harvested late in the season.

The Vintage

In summary, we think this may be a fantastic white vintage and a surprisingly good red vintage, despite the rain that many times might lead to less intense wines. With rain in the range of 2005 and much less than the last really rainy harvest season of 1997, most winemakers in the valley knew how to adapt and took advantage of the vintage’s attributes, such as lower sugars (and therefore alcohols) and higher acids. As long as botrytis is kept from reds or sorted out, and winemaking sleight of hand provides physical therapy for the intensity shortcomings, such as saignée, tannin adds, chaptalization, and acidulation, the vintage will have stellar wines, just with more variability. Buy whites in general, buy reds from trusted names.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested 9/27/2007 @ 21.3 brix, 7.0 g/L TA, and 3.23 pH, from 1.9 tons per acre

Fermentation:

15 days total skin contact, 8 days of that pre-maceration; pectolytic enzyme used for uniform extraction

Cooperage/Aging:

Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, racking once, in 33% new and 78% new or one-year prior use

Clonal Selection:

Dijon clone 667

Bottling:

Bottled 9/3/2008

Bottling Analyses:

13.5% alcohol, 6.1 g/L acid., 3.45 pH, 0.2% residual sugar

Cases Produced:

210

Suggested Retail:

$32 (TO ORDER)

Release Date:

May 2009

Winemaker's Comments

Brilliant red-purple, light-medium color density, sexy and succulent, sweet berry, cassis, moderately intense, with very fine tannin, very good acid and pretty finish-not huge, but nicely focused.

Quotes

Wine Spectator, December 2009, Harvey Steiman: 89. Light and fragrant, with a satiny feel to the pretty, apple-accented red plum flavors, lingering easily on the refined finish. Drink now through 2012.

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