Grown at 500’ elevation near the town of Philo in the Anderson Valley, in gravelly Pinole soils. Pinole soils, common in Anderson Valley, are primarily sandy clay loam, and are very deep, fertile, well-drained soils that typically foster grasses and herbs. Pennyroyal, known for its distinctive minty/herbal scent, is an herb that can be found throughout this redwood-ringed vineyard, and we believe this lush fertility, cool, foggy nights, and the surrounding flora influence the wines from this site.
Winemaker Notes
This wine is a personal milestone for me: it was a wine from Toulouse Vineyard in 2002, made by James MacPhail, that lit my Pinot fire. I’m pleased that this vintage has all the qualities that first attracted me to Pinot Noir, yet it also clearly has my winemaking imprint on it. Dried cranberries, baking spice and some brown herbs weave in-and-out of a core of dark cherry and a cinnamon-like structural core from whole-cluster inclusion of the most physiologically ripe woody stems I’ve ever seen. There’s also a subtle gaminess that is attractive to me in Burgundies I’ve enjoyed in the past. My intention with this wine was to make a wine that would stand the test of time.
- Hand harvested at 23.0 - 24.7º brix;
- Fermented 20% whole cluster;
- Aged 11 months, 7 of them sur lie;
- Batonnage every 2 weeks for 3 months;
- Clones: 667, 777, 115, Pommard;
- Yeasts: Native, AMH, BRG;
- 100% French Oak, 30% new;
- Coopers: Montgillard (Bertranges, Allier, Nevers), TN Coopers, Leroi.
- pH 3.62;
- Alcohol 14.3%.