AmericanWinery.com

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The 2009 vintage was marked by significant swings in temperature throughout the growing season. A late-September heat-wave led to somewhat higher than optimal sugar levels while we waited for the flavors to develop. Dry weather throughout the picking window meant we had the luxury of choosing our harvest dates based on flavors rather than the meteorological forecast. The fruit was picked RIPE with exuberant cherry pie and plum flavors. Yields were roughly on plan at 1.8 tons per acre. In the cellar we worked to preserve the fruit notes while extracting ripe tannins with two week cold soaks and gentle handling. This bottling again highlights the bright fruit of our Dijon 115 clone (54 percent), with some Wädenswil (19 percent), Mariafeld (13 percent), Pommard (11 percent) and 667 (3 percent). The ripe fruit gives a hint of candied plum in addition to our site’s characteristic bright pie cherry flavors. Gingerbread spice and herbes de Provence on the nose and a hint of grip on the finish. Aged in French oak for nine months before bottling on September 15, 2010.

Varieties

• 100% Pinot Noir
  Lia’s Vineyard — Chehalem Mountains

Bottle Production

• 750 ml (Standard Bottle): 578 cases

Vintage Notes

A few hot days in the summer made us happy our site tends to get nice cool breezes on summer afternoons. Consistent with the vintage, this wine is a bit bigger and more precocious than our typical wines, but still is clearly an Oregon pinot noir.

Fermentation Notes

Whole berry fermented in open top 2 ton jacketed stainless fermenters using resident yeast. 14-17 days cold soak, 23-28 days skin contact. Aged in French oak, mostly medium toast, 20 percent new.

Technical Details

• Time in Barrels: 9 months
• % New Oak: 20.0%
• Harvest Brix: 26.3