Nose
The 2014 Pillow Road Pinot Noir exemplifies the vineyard and the true varietal expression of Pinot Noir. Fresh aromas of wild berries, bing cherry and cola are complimented with notes of violet and cinnamon spice.
Palate
The palate is soft and elegant with sweet tannins and lively acidity that provide for a balanced and structured wine capable of long-term aging.
Growing Conditions
The Pillow Road vineyard is located in the Russian River Valley of West Sonoma County, southwest of the city of Sebastopol in an area affectionately known as the Sebastopol Hills. Famous for its Goldridge soils, large temperature swings and sweeping morning fog the vines at Pillow Road thrive in ideal climatic conditions that produce exceptional wines capturing the best expression of this unique vineyard. The first plantings were in 2000 to Pinot Noir clones 777, 115 and 4 with more recent plantings of Calera and Swan. The different clones complement one another in the final blend, offering bright fruit tones with elegance, depth and structure.
The grapes are harvested at night to preserve the fresh fruit characters, then hand sorted and gently de-stemmed to small open-top fermenters where they undergo a 5 day “cold soak” to extract maximum fruit character. Gentle maceration techniques are employed throughout the fermentation to insure proper extraction is reached. The wine is then drained without pressing and aged in 75% new French oak Burgundy barrels for 11 months.
