Nose
An aromatic greeting whereby Rainer and black cherry share the stage with
the profiles of fresh spring and wild flowers.
Palate
. A sweet cherry backbone with
soft woodsy character counter balances the wine’s structure. The classic
underlying picante nature of Carneros fruit with soft acidity harnesses the
balances of the finish. The subtleties of the new French oak provide a
glimpse of vanilla.
Growing Conditions
A warm, dry spring in 2013 brought early bud break, which inspired canopy
vigor, berry size and created ideal conditions for flowering and fruit set
under sunny skies. With the exception of a heat spike in late June to early
July, temperatures were consistently in the zone for optimal vine activity.
Ideal conditions resulted in notably healthy vines as fruit went through
veraison and throughout ripening.
Winemaking
The Gallery Vineyard is 7 acres of Pinot Noir, of which 4ac is Dijon Clone
(86% of blend) and 3ac is Swan Clone. (14% of blend). The picked fruit was
carefully selected on a vibrating sorting table, de-stemmed and crushed
prior to a three-day cold soak. Following fermentation in stainless steel
tanks with native yeast, the fermented must is gently basket pressed for
careful extraction of tannin and color.
Aging
The wine was aged for 10 months in
French oak barrels (45% new).
Food Pairing
Ideally suited to antipasti, grilled salmon or roast duck.
