2006 Griffin's Cuvee Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes

Big, rich, concentrated, bold, almost "over the top" and definitely not too shy. A wine for those that think bigger is better... Massive aromas of plums, blackberries, spice and graham. This full-bodied wine opens slowly from a focused core and just keeps getting more round and full in the mouth with exposure to air. The flavors are expansive with blackberries, coffee, plums finishing spicy with a hint of earth wrapped within firm, but accessible tannins. Best opened starting 2007 and drinkable through 2016.

Winemaking Notes

This exclusive, limited bottling of Pinot Noir was blended from four different vineyard lots and from hand selected barrels to “construct” a wine of depth and power and reminiscent of the vintage. Each specific vineyard was farmed to approximately 2 tons per acre with one cluster per shoot in order to maximize exposure for full ripening. Each site contributes particular nuances that lend a multi-layered complexity to the blend. Grape clusters were de-stemmed with approximately 70% whole berries intact in the fermenter. The must underwent a six-day pre-fermentation cold soak at 45-50 degrees prior to heating to initiate indigenous fermentation. Each lot was punched down three times per day and pressed out between ten and sixteen days total fermentation time. The young wine was introduced to barrel within sixteen hours of pressing and was racked twice prior to bottling eighteen months later.

Wine Statistics

Vineyard Sources: Three Angels 43%, Amity Hills 29%, Johnson 13%, Windermere 13%
Harvest Date: September 29 through October 6th, 2003
Brix at Harvest: 24.10: 25.4
Yeast Strain: Indigenous
Fermentation: 9 to 17 days
Cases Produced: 220
Alcohol Level: 14.0% by volume
Residual Sugar: 0.20% (dry)