2006 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Winemaker's Notes
This wine reminds me very much of our 2002 Russian River. The nose is fragranced with ripe plums, wild blackberry jam, violets, forest floor, crème brûlée and honey-cured bacon. Your mouth fills with blackberries, blueberries, sassafras, nutmeg and toasty oak. The ripe, concentrated tannins are rich and round across your palate and the balanced acidity and berry finish is long and lingering. A fuller bodied wine that should get better with 5-6 years of age.
—Winemaker Bob Cabral
The Vineyards
The pinot noir for this blend was sourced from our Drake Estate Vineyard, the Allen Vineyard, the Flax Vineyard, the Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard, the Bucher Vineyard, and our Litton Estate Vineyard.
Harvest 2006
The 2006 grape growing season was characterized by weather extremes. The unusually cool and wet weather of the early spring caused a late start to the 2006 Harvest. Challenged by the prolonged and excessive July heat spikes followed by more moisture, the vines required attentive care. Cool coastal weather returned in August, mitigating the effect of the hot summer and permitting a long hang time for optimal fruit maturity and a controlled pace for ideal picking. Grape clusters were unusually large, resulting in a generous crop load.
Winemaking for the vintage was focused on meticulous fruit sorting and concentrating flavors, resulting in wines of fullness and length. Our Pinot noirs across growing regions have fruitiness of intensity and purity; our Russian River Zinfandels are ripe and typically powerful; our Russian River Chardonnays are particularly aromatic and finely structured.
Technical Notes
| Barrel Description: | 31% new, 47% 1-year-old, 22% 2-year-old |
|---|---|
| Barrel Aged: | 10 months |
| pH: | 3.5 |
| TA: | 0.61g/100ml |
| Alc.: | 14.3% |
| Release Date: | Spring 2008 |
| Release Price: | $45 |