Description
THE VINEYARD
2015 was our seventh vintage sourcing fruit from the Ridgetop Vineyard, owned and managed by Thomas Rivers Brown and Fred Schrader. Ulises Valdez cares for the vineyard with precise attention to detail demanded by this extreme site. Ridgetop is located in the remote coastal mountains along the northern Sonoma Coast near Annapolis. Surrounded by redwoods at approximately 1100 feet above the Pacific, the salty sea air and ocean breezes are ever present, with thick fog receding each day to present ideal ripening conditions for Pinot noir. The vines produce minuscule yields each vintage, with concentrated flavors, provocative aromatics, and silky texture as they struggle to grow in Goldridge loam soils and a collection of old silt, sandstone, and remnants of ancient seabed.
WINEMAKER NOTES
The 2015 vintage started with a bang — an unusually warm winter and dry spring promoted early bud break, with severe drought conditions continuing throughout the entire growing season. Vines responded by producing loose clusters and smaller berries with an abundance of flavor. It was one of the earliest harvests on record with lower than average yields. The resulting wines display tremendous finesse, depth and aromatic intensity. Yields were half of normal in 2015. Clones 115, 667 and 777 were harvested separately and vinified in small 1-ton fermenters. The blend showcases the exotic fruit character the vineyard is known for, with increased structure and density resulting from the small berry sizes and tiny clusters ofered this vintage.
FERMENTATION AND BOTTLING
• 100% de-stemmed Pinot noir
• Open-top fermentation
• Native yeast
• 50% new French oak
• Bottled unfined and unfiltered
• Bottled August 2016
