2006 Cuvee Noir Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes

My "true love"; the Cuvée Noir is a big and full-bodied wine. Not over the top, but skirting the line beautifully; this wine flirts with power, depth, richness and elegance simultaneously. This harmonious cuvée opens with expansive warm aromas of spices, graham and black fruits with a hint of floral notes. The mouth mirrors the aromas with full flavors of black cherries, blackberries and red currents wrapped within fine and sweet tannins.

Winemaking Notes

This exclusive, limited bottling of Pinot Noir was blended from my favorite Willamette Valley vineyard lots and select barrels to showcase the finest attributes I aspire to combine in a Pinot Noir. 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 twelve and fifteen 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

Yeast Strain: Proprietary
Fermentation: 1.5 ton open top fermenters
Barrel Aging: 10 months in French Oak
TA: 5.5g/100mL
pH: 3.64
Alcohol level: 14.5%
Bottle Date: 9/11/07
Cases Produced: 227