Our 2007 Saralee's Vineyard Pinot Noir reflects the purity and elegance of Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. In 2007, low yields and exceptional hang times at Saralee's Vineyard created a wine of focused, layered flavors and noteworthy structure. Enchanting fruit, good acidity, and delicate tannins, all in the proper harmony, enhance this wine's worthiness for ageing, yet the wine remains very approachable while young. Its composition of 60% 23 and 40% 115 clones was actually a happy accident, proof that the unexpected can, and often does, lead to good things. We added the 23 after the low yields of 2007 created a shortfall in our 115 block. Now this beautiful block of 23 is a regular part of our vintages to come.

Tasting Notes

Aromas of violets and cherry are followed by a sumptuous palate of dark cherry, ripe plum, cedar, and a touch of vanilla. Pleasing tannins reveal themselves in this wine's lengthy finish. Representative food pairings are squab in its own juices, lighter presentations of red meats with veal stock reductions, or dishes involving seared, rare tuna served with highly reduced, deeply colored sauces.

The Vinification

Our 2007 Saralee's Vineyard Pinot Noir contains 60% 23 and 40% 115 clones harvested by hand on September 29, 2007. After sorting and destemming the fruit, we cold soaked the must over the course of four days. This deepens color and amplifies flavors by providing extended contact with the skins, pulp, and seeds while they are cold. We fermented à l'ancienne with RC212 yeast. We like RC212 for its respect for fruit characteristics and preservation of color. Fermenting à l'ancienne is a quality focused technique involving multiple punchdowns per day by hand across small lots instead of pumping over. Although we typically ferment clones in separate lots to assess our wines with the finest granularity as they evolve, this vintage we performed a co-fermentation. This means the clones were together from start to finish. The fermentation completed over the course of ten days. Next, we completed the malolactic fermentation. This was followed by a period of élevage sur lies for ten months in 54% new French oak. We aged sur lies to round mouthfeel further and allow additional complexity to develop. To preserve complexity and enhance the wine's evolution, we bottled this wine unfined and unfiltered. As such, it may throw a modest sediment.

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