2003 Signature Pinot Noir
This is the first wine released with our new signature packaging!
Winemaker's Notes
Color: Bright garnet with ruby tint clarity and brilliance.
Aroma: Black cherry, blackberry, bing cherry, dried rose petal, strawberry jam & sweet oak spice.
Mouthfeel: Round, rich, and silky. Blueberry, black cherry, spice and oak with balanced acidity and bright velvety tannins with a nice lingering finish.
Technical Notes
Final Analysis: 13.6% alcohol, TA 0.58g/100ml, pH 3.52, 15,100 cases bottled April 2004.
Vineyard Source: 62% estate grown (certified organic), 38% from seven contract growers within the Willamette Valley .
Fermentation: Assmanhausen, RC212 & D254 yeasts, plus a small amount of native yeast used. 100% stainless steel, temperature controlled tank fermentation in removable top fermenters. Punch down two to three times per day.
Aging: 10-12 months in French oak barrels: 30% new barrels, 25% one year old barrels, 23% two year old barrels, 22% three year old barrels. Cooperage predominately from François Freres, Dargaud & Jaegle, Rousseau, Claude Gillet, and Seguin Moreau. Light and medium toasted staves.
Growing Season
The 2003 growing season and harvest proved to many why Oregon weather is often called an enigma. Oregon vineyard managers and winemakers saw a bit of everything this year - from frost threats in spring to scorching August heat and a spot of rain during harvest. All things considered, the overall crop yields were on par with past years, and the fruit quality was extremely high.
The winter and spring provided 9-13 inches less rainfall than 'normal', continuing the streak of three years of low rain measurements. Our non-irrigated/dry-farmed vineyards receive organic compost to preserve moisture, supplement vineyard nutrients, and encourage biotic life in the soil. This critical soil amendment program, combined with selective cover-crop cultivation and crop-load management, paid huge dividends as the vineyards showed no signs of vine stress during the key berry ripening process.
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SIGNATURE PINOT NOIR
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