1997 Camp Meeting Ridge "Moon Select" Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes
Dark and intense appearance belie the expressive nature of this Coastal Ridge wine. If you love full-throttled Pinot, this offering is for you. Ripe plum and black cherries work to counterpoint Burgundian elements of roast coffee and cola notes, with edges of grilled game and smoke provided by native ferment and careful barrel selection. The characteristic East India spice and sandalwood perfume lace the outer envelope of the aroma. On the palate, the profile is rich, full and complex with spreading, broad tannins that are matched well against the natural acidity our cool climate provides. Richness and fruit build through the mid-palate into the finish. The wine concludes long and smooth, with rich but not harsh tannins evident along with dark fruit and mocha layered late into the fade. We hope you enjoy drinking this wine as much as we enjoyed crafting it. This wine will age as well as any Pinot.
This wine represents our undivided commitment to the craft of winegrowing and salutes the men and women of Moon Nurseries and their total commitment to quality. Their efforts have made Flowers Vineyard & Winery a possibility. Thank you John P. and all of the folks back in Bucks County and Chesapeake City.
Facts
- Blend of 4 mature home ranch clones from primarily SE facing slopes, mostly mxm spacing
- 100% native yeast & malolactic fermentations
- 88% new oak: primarily François Freres with wood from Tronçais forest, high toast/toasted heads but also a move to sweeter wood such as Marsannay and Cadus and a smattering of traditional Burgundian coopers such as LaTour. Total time in barrel: 14 months
- Harvest: early October
Clonal component descriptions
- Swiss clone: UCD-23 (Clevner Mariafeld): powerful wine from thick skinned selection; 23 giving dark color and brooding dark fruit tones
- Dijon Clone 115: intense spiciness from the stems, almost like Christmas cake.
- Calera: a backbone wine, with tiny, current-sized berries from 3 separate selections giving intensity and fine tannin richness to the wines
- Swan (Dehlinger and Carneros Creek selections): perfume and structure, with silky, firm tannins to back the almost sandalwood-like perfume
Final bottling technical information
- pH: 3.64
- TA: 5.8 g/L
- 14.1% alcohol
- Residual sugar: 0.09 g/L (dry)
Bottled unfined and unfiltered in late December 1998; 380 cases produced