2002 Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes
A deep, dark color is the first striking quality of this wine. The nose is complex and hard to pin down at this young age. Fruit and spice notes are nicely interwoven with no single character dominating. Aromas and flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove are the foil for a bright fruit core of pie cherry and black raspberry. The acidity is excellent, giving the wine a "lightness on its feet" that belies its concentration and structure. The overall palate impression is one balance, from entry, into mid-palate, and through the long extended finish. We expect this wine to begin drinking at its best in the fall of 2004 and to reward further aging of up to 5 years.
Vineyards
Keefer Ranch is located in the Green Valley appellation, which has long been considered to have some of the coolest weather in Sonoma County. Burgundian varieties thrive here, typically yielding wines of noteworthy acidity with that elusive combination of elegance and power. Clones planted are Pommard, 2A, 777, 115
The Vintage
This vintage at the Keefer Ranch was marked by an almost equal distribution of the wines from the different blocks making it into the final blend. There was no lone "stand-out" lot this year. The blend ultimately settled out as 28% 777, 20% Pommard, 19% 115, 18% 2A, and 16% UCD 23.
Harvest
Mid-late September depending upon clone and block maturity gradients.
Winemaking
All fruit was rigorously hand sorted and fully destemmed with no crushing. Pre-fermentation "cold soak" ranged from 3-5 days depending on the lot. Punchdowns were done by hand with a frequency depending on the tannin structure of the given clonal lot and the dynamics of the fermentation (up to 2x/day). Peak fermentation temperatures were between 85-90 F. Skin contact, like "cold soak", was variable, with a range of 12-18 days. All ferments were gently basket pressed and put to barrel on full fermentation lees for malolactic (ML). Racking was minimal with only one assemblage being done in the spring to allow the blend to "marry" in barrel for a few months before bottling.
Yeast/ML
Full native yeast and malolactic fermentations were once again the norm.
Cooperage and Aging
Barrel aged 14 months in 50% new French oak.
Bottling
Bottled unfined and unfiltered on December 10, 2003; 373 cases produced.
Final bottling technical information
- pH: 3.41
- TA: 0.65 g/100 ml
- Alcohol: 14.1%