Double Gold Medal - International Eastern Wine Competition 2006Produced from 100% Pinot Noir, this wine was made exclusively from two vineyards in the cool Carneros appellation. The primary clonal selections are 667 and Swan, both of which produce fruit with very small berries. This gives us high skin to juice ratios producing a wine with added color and depth. During fermentation, we hand punched the cap every six hours to maximize extraction from the skins. Following fermentation the wine was barrel aged in 60 gallon French Oak barrels for 10 months before bottling. The natural elegance read more...of this Pinot Noir is enhanced with the toasty, spicy character of the French oak barrels it which it was aged. This wine is currently showing a fantastic depth of fruit ranging from fresh cherries to ripe strawberries, and will age beautifully developing a velvety elegance that only Pinot Noir can embody. -Chris Pisani, Winemaker (hide)