Nose
Elegant aromas of violets, cherries and other red fruit layered with a hint of caramel. Fresh herbal notes
give the nose added complexity.
Palate
On the palate, strawberry and cranberry flavors meld with a subtle
expression of crème brulee. The wine is medium-bodied in weight and expresses lively acidity and bright
cherry flavors on the finish.
Growing Conditions
2011 was another challenging vintage for most of Northern California, including Carneros, located in the
southernmost part of Napa County. Harvest started later than is typical for Carneros and berries were
smaller than in past harvests, resulting in low yields and exquisite concentration. Despite the challenges
from Mother Nature, the excellent quality of our Pinot Noir grapes was maintained with vigilant vineyard
management and careful sorting at the winery resulting in balanced fruit, with nice acidity and rich flavors.
Winemaking
The Gallery Vineyard is 7 acres of Pinot Noir, of which 3ac is Swan Clone and 4ac is Dijon Clone. Our
Dijon clone vines (86% of blend) were picked on September 28th and our Swan clone vines (14% of blend)
were picked on October 3rd as the vines ripen at different rates. The picked fruit was carefully selected on a
vibrating sorting table and then 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 Boutes and Francois Freres
French oak barrels (45% new).
