2017 Pinot Noir, Rio Vista Vineyard Dijon

Awards

Wine Enthusiast 91 points.

"There's a gamy and roast-pork quality to the nose of this bottling, with light herbs and tangy cranberry and red-currant aromas showing as well. The palate is spiced by bay leaf and anise, giving depth to the dark-red fruits, with that gamy note popping again on the finish."

--Matt Kettmann

Food Pairing

Pair with roasted duck, venison, grilled marinated skirt steak or blue cheese buffalo burgers. For the sweet tooth, try chocolate lava cake with sea salt, dark chocolate mousse or cherry clafoutis.

Production Notes

Pinot Noir dijonaise clones 115, 667, &777; 183 cases produced.

Tasting Notes

The wine displays beautiful aromas of dusty oak, ripe blueberries and caramelized sugar. Hints of ripe Santa Rosa plum, aged tobacco, leather and dark chocolate dance across your tougue. The structure and firm tannins will allow this vintage to age gracefully.

Vineyard Notes

Three different blocks and three different clones comprise Rio Vista Vineyard. This meticulously farmed vineyard sweeps down the hillside on the southeastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, overlooking the Santa Ynez River – hence its name, “River View”. The grapes for our wine hail from the steep, eastern hillside of the vineyard, with soils laden with rocks and chert.

Winemaker Notes

Our Dijon blend is made up of clones 115, 667 and 777. After hand harvesting, the perfect little clusters were gently de-stemmed and the whole berries placed into fermenters. After inoculation with yeast, the “must” slurry of juice and skins was punched down by hand twice each day to extract flavor, color and tannins. Upon completion of fermentation, the wine was placed into French oak barrels and allowed to age for about 18 months. After a light filtration to ensure clarity and remove any unwanted sediment, the wine was bottled and stored. This bottle aging allowed the tannins, acids and flavors to meld and integrate, providing a wine that is enjoyable upon release. Each of these “dijonaise” clones contributes a component and enhances the others in this blend.