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Varietal
Pinot Noir
Vintage
2014
Wildcat Mountain 3 Liter
Vintage
2014
Appellation
Sonoma Coast
Appellation
Sonoma Coast
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Tasting NotesDark garnet in color, this complex and alluring wine displays a nose layered with aromas of red cherry and cinnamon spice. On the palate sophisticated elements of cocoa and leather combine with the red berry fruit and spice, giving this wine a strong mid-palate and a lengthy finish.
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Wine Origin2014 had ideal temperatures and growing conditions. The fruit came in the door healthy, ripe and luscious. The grapes that made the Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir this vintage came from a few different blocks of Wildcat Mountain. The first was clone 5 grapes from a prized original block planted in 1998. The rest of the grapes were from vines planted in 2000, and feature our Arrow Block clone 667 and 115 grapes, as well as more clone 667 grapes from our Saddle Block. The fruit was harvested by hand in the cool early mornings of September 10th and 22nd.
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Production NotesThe fruit was gently destemmed into small open-top fermenters, using state-of-the-art equipment and procedures to avoid any pumping of must. Inoculation with select yeast strains followed a three-day cold soak, and the caps were managed with a combination of pump-overs and punch-downs. Blending fruit from different areas of the vineyard and different clones gives this wine depth and complexity. The clones of Pinot Noir from Arrow Block are early ripening Dijon clones that add lively fruit aromatics. The clone 5 introduces structure and acidity. Saddle Block is an area of the vineyard that is very exposed to the wind, which creates dense earthy aromas and a long finish to the wine. After 10 months of aging in exclusively French oak barrels, we bottled in August of 2015.
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Winemaker NotesThe grapes for this Pinot Noir came exclusively from our Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, owned by Steve MacRostie and his partners Nancy and Tony Lilly. Here the vines dig into the sparse volcanic soil and stand firm against the strong winds that race in off of the Pacific Ocean most afternoons. This fog-shrouded mountaintop vineyard is a classic Sonoma Coast site, cool and challenging, and produces wines of great distinction.