2001 Camp Meeting Ridge Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes
A beautiful dark ruby-garnet color is the first striking feature of this vintage of our estate Pinot Noir. Aromas of ripe bing cherry, assorted floral notes, and our signature cardamom-like spice take center stage. Supporting notes of strawberry, toasty oak, and a subtle orange-peel character are discreetly in the background. The palate displays a very youthful "grip" from fine-grained tannins and healthy acidity. The balance this year is definitely weighted towards elegance, versus power. However, there is an underlying tautness of structure that indicates the best from this wine is yet to come. While it is always difficult to say "don't try a bottle when you receive it", we truly feel this wine will really begin to shine from spring 2004 onwards. As for further cellaring, we expect it to drink at its best through 2008.
Vineyards
The blend this year was sourced predominantly (82%) from our meter x meter plantings, with over 70% coming from our Swan and Calera selections. These blocks stood out for the purity of their terroir expression and ultimately how their wines complemented each other in the final blend.
The Vintage
A potentially bountiful crop, due to unusually good set, was thinned back several times to 2-3 tons/acre depending on the block. Harvest began slightly earlier than usual and was characterized by the "surgical' picking of only those areas that were ready, even going to such extremes of picking the "sun-side" of the rows one day and the "shade-side" several days later.
Harvest
Mid-September to early-October, 2001.
Winemaking
All fruit was rigorously hand sorted and fully destemmed with no crushing. Pre-fermentation "cold soak" ranged from 5-10 days depending on the lot. Full native yeast primary fermentation was followed by malolactic fermentation (ML) in barrel. Punchdowns were done by hand with the frequency depending on the tannin structure of the given clone and the dynamics of the fermentation (usually 2x/day). Total skin contact, like "cold soak", was variable, with a range of 16-22 days depending on extraction and balance. All ferments were gently basket pressed and put to barrel on full fermentation lees for ML. Racking was minimal with only one assemblage, retaining "light lees", being done in the spring to allow the blend to "marry" in barrel for a few months before bottling.
Cooperage and Aging
Cooperage this year (70% new) was composed mostly of 3-year air-dried Tronçais wood from François Freres and Remond. Barrel "toast" levels have been reduced from heavy to medium and medium+ for a purer, more terroir-focused, perfume. Total time in barrel = 14 months.
Bottling
Bottled unfined and unfiltered on January 16, 2003; 428 cases produced.
Final bottling technical information
- pH: 3.59
- Total Acidity: 0.58 g/100ml
- 14.3% alcohol