2014 Rapley Trail Vineyard Pinot Noir

The Rapley Trail Vineyard has a unique aromatic signature that reminds us of incense, north-African spice and forest floor. The '14 vintage is red fruited with great texture, harmony and richness. We couldn't be happier with the balance this vintage possesses. It will likely need a year or two to reach it's apogee, but should provide many years of deliciousness.
2014 was the second consecutive drought vintage featuring one of the earliest harvesting in our 40+ year history. Early bud-break and flowering combined with relatively warm weather throughout the growing season led to the rapid development of sugar and flavor in many vineyards. Consequently, we had tremendous ripeness at relatively low sugars which produced wines with bright acidity and ample structure.
The Rapley Trail Vineyard (avg. elev. 1650 ft.) was planted in 1981, consisting of six contiguous acres of Pinot Noir vines on our Estate’s rugged southeastern slopes. It has long been the backbone of our past
"Estate Reserve" Pinot Noir, but beginning in 2002 we have begun to bottle portions of the vineyard separately. This "deconstruction" displays the unique aspects and interactions of soil and climate that
accounts for grapes whose flavor is a direct product of where they are grown; this is terroir. The Rapley Trail Vineyard bottling is comprised of the various lots harvested from the vineyard, which in some years can be picked in as many as 7 passes.