2001 Pinot Noir, Dierberg Vineyard
Specifications
- Appellation Santa Maria Valley
- Bottling Date December 2003
- Country USA
- Harvest Date September 2001
- Region Santa Barbara County
- Type Still
- Varietal Pinot Noir
- Vineyard Dierberg Vineyard
- Vintage 2001
- Winemaker Norm Yost
Production Notes
Pinot Noir clones 115 and 31; 315 cases produced.
Tasting Notes
The wine is full of rich, dark fruit flavors and warm earthy notes – it starts out in the nose with fruit nuances of black cherry, blueberry and hints of cinnamon spice. Once it opens up there is an underlying layer of cola, vanilla and earthy tones. The wine has medium ruby color; the body is smooth and delightfully rustic. The finish is firm and very clean.
Vineyard Notes
Our 2001 Pinot Noir came from the ultra-premium Dierberg Vineyard, a vineyard focused on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. The 140-acre vineyard is 7 years old and sits on a windswept mesa in the middle of the Santa Maria Valley. Our grapes came from Block 3, which is a southfacing block, but because it does not receive the late afternoon sun and heat, the grapes take longer to ripen, allowing more of the delicious flavors to develop.
Winemaker Notes
The grapes were picked in September, 2001. Two different Pinot Noir clones lend their respective qualities - Clone 115 (the Dijon clone) provides backbone and body, while Clone 31, more usually used for sparkling wines, imparts elegant floral notes. The must was punched down two or three times a day as it fermented to dryness. During pressing, the free run wine was gravity fed to French oak barrels - 20% new, the rest 1 to 3 years old. 14 months of aging on lees with occasional stirring adds additional creaminess to the final texture. The wine was bottled on December 3rd, 2002 and was released in April, 2003.