2007 Litton Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
Winemaker's Notes
Fresh ripe cherries, frambroise, roses, white truffle and a mineral aromas fill your glass. Concentrated cherry/raspberry flavors float across your palate, accentuated only by the richly textured tannins and subtle flavors of white truffles, violets, anise, nutmeg and toffee. The power and purity of this site is greatly expressed throughout this wine. I hope you have the patience to wait 7-8 years to truly see the full unique expression of this site.
—Winemaker Bob Cabral
Scores & Reviews
| Points | Publication | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Wine Enthusiast | February 2010 |
The Vineyard
Our Litton Estate Vineyard is nestled in the heart of the Russian River Valley, half a mile south of the winery on Westside Road. With an opportunity to plant to our exact specifications, we selected clones of Pommard, Swan, 777 Dijon, Mt. Eden (UCD 37) and 828 Dijon, and chose five different root stocks to match the soil types. The vines are positioned northeast to southwest to allow for even exposure to the summer sun.
Harvest 2007
The 2007 vintage has produced wines of extremely high quality, wines that are each brilliant expressions of their sites. The growing season was distinguished by its evenness with a cool finish. Bud break was at the usual time around the first part of March. A few frost days that Spring were of little concern as the vines grew at an orderly pace. Berry set was somewhat interrupted with light winds causing a small amount of shatter and unpollenated berries. The summer months were characterized by warm, sunny, near-perfect weather with very few heat spikes during the fruit ripening stage of the vine growth cycle. This resulted in very uniform ripening and optimal development of intense varietal flavors, aromas and expression. Moderately warm mid-August weather accelerated ripening and culminated in a Labor Day weekend of near perfect sunshine that launched a methodical and even paced harvest of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ready for picking. By late September, fog returned and the cool weather prevailed, temporarily stalling harvest, slowing the accumulation of sugar, and allowing phenolics and flavors to continue to develop in pace with the sugars. The break from the heat permitted the rest of the fruit to be picked at a gentle pace, at peak flavor and optimal maturity. Small berries delivered wines dark in color with exceptional concentration of flavors, aromas and ripe tannins. The wines of 2007 convey their unique characters in a manner more vivid, precise and evocative than we have come to anticipate. In a decade of exceptional vintages, this one really stands above all others.
Technical Notes
| Barrel Description: | 75% new, 25% 1-year-old |
|---|---|
| Barrel Aged: | 18 months |
| pH: | 3.44 |
| TA: | 0.62g/100ml |
| Alc.: | 14.1% |
| Release Date: | Fall 2009 |
| Release Price: | $100 |