2017 Dundee Hills Incline Pinot Noir 1.5
Aromatically the 2017 Dundee Hills Incline Pinot Noir shows cranberry, red rose, pie cherry, and a slate-like minerality. The palate is broad, supple, and concentrated, with lots of red and black fruit creating a medium-plus body. The wine has a great freshness and precision, framed by a low alcohol level. The tannins and bright acidity are integrated and soft allowing the prime drinking window around 2020 to 2028.
We aged the wine on the lees for 11 months in 20% new French Oak barrels. Coopers include Atelier Centre France, Taransaud, and François Frères. We practice primary & secondary fermentations, embracing the micro-biome present in our vineyard sites. The average fermentation time on skins was 21 days, during which we performed two short pump-overs daily. This Pinot Noir was made with 15% whole cluster fermentation. James Suckling 96