2021 Windy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

The 2021 vintage was a welcome change from the catastrophe of 2020. Harvest began in Pinot Noir in early September, which is an historically average starting date. Sugar and acidity levels tracked well and while the crop size was shorter than we would prefer, we were able to harvest perfectly ripened fruit at a reasonable pace. The resulting wines have excellent balance and intensity. In our recent past there are some similarities to 2019 in that the wines possess great elegance and site specificity.

"Soft strawberry and cherry aromas meet with sandalwood and tree bark touches on the nose of this bottling from a vineyard that sits at 2,000 feet high. The palate begins with an easygoing energy and then snaps around raspberry and pomegranate flavors that are warmed with a pinch of star anise." - Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast 93 points
Our winemaking is focused on allowing the unique signature of each vineyard site to be expressed. We ferment all of our Pinot Noir in small lots of between one and two tons. We utilize varying percentages of whole bunches (approximately 25-50%), tailored to each site, and ferment the wines without the addition of yeast. Our maceration period lasts from 10-21 days, often including a short per-fermentation cold soak. We age our Pinot Noir in 3 year air dried French Oak, exclusively from the forest of Chatillon. The wines are pressed in a traditional basket press and allowed to settle before barrelling. The wines spend two winters in barrel and are racked only at bottling.
The Windy Hill Vineyard, re-planted in 2012, is perched on the very top of the Fogarty Estate at just under 2000 ft. These 2.5 acres are buffeted by wind, drenched in fog and grown in desperately shallow soil; Windy Hill is a tough place to be a grapevine. Lucky for us, this leads to fantastic fruit. The wines are ethereal with red fruits, spice and distinct mineral notes. This is our tightest-spaced Estate Vineyard and is planted to old California Heritage Selections of Pinot Noir.