Ferrari: Sparkling Wine at its Best

Ferrari produces some of the best Metodo Classico sparkling wine in Italy and their Giulio Ferrari Riserva Del Fondatore may be the best sparkling wine produced in Italy. When I received an invitation to The Ferrari Art of Living Party at the Glasshouses in NYC where there would be food, music and best of all Ferrari Metodo Classico sparkling wine, I was happy to accept. Then I received another invitation from the President of Gruppo Italiano Ristoratori, Gianfranco Sorrentino, owner of Il Gattopardo restaurant, inviting me to a tasting before the party of Ferrari Perle and Giulio, I could not wait to go.

Matteo

The speakers were Matteo Lunelli, President of Ferrari, and a member of the Lunelli family that owns the Ferrari winery,

and Marco Sabellico Senior Editor at Gambero Rosso. Marco announced that Ferrari is the 2019 Gambero Rosso “Winery of the Year.”

Matteo told us that Giulio Ferrari, the founder of the company, returned to Trentino after studying in France and was convinced that the local terroir was perfect for the Chardonnay grape. He felt that by using the Metodo Classico (Méthode Champenois) he could make great sparkling wine there. He became the first person to plant Chardonnay in Trentino. In 1902 he began the company and it became very successful.

In 1952 Bruno Lunelli, the owner of Trento’s best-known wine bar, took over Ferrari from Giulio, who continued the work at the winery until his death. Today the third generation of the Lunelli family runs the company. It has a 40% market share of all the Metodo Classico made in Italy.

With the exception of the Ferrari Rosé and the Ferrari Perlé Rosé all the wines are Blanc de Blancs, 100% Chardonnay.

Matteo said Ferrari is a member of Istituto TrentoDOC, which has 53 sparkling wine producers in Trentino, and they are the only sparkling wines produced in the mountains. The TrentoDOC wine area is in Northern Italy and is surrounded by the Dolomite Mountains. The vines there are trained mainly using the Trentino pergola system and are grown at an altitude of 200 to 800 meters. With global warming, this may be the only area where grapes can be planted higher up where the temperature is cooler. Matteo said that when you go up 100 meters the temperature drops about one degree.

The Ferrari Sparkling Wines

Ferrari Perlé TrentoDOC Metodo Classico Vintage Blanc de Blancs 100% Chardonnay. The grapes are harvested by hand in the middle of September from a hillside owned by the Lunelli family around the Trento vineyards. The vineyards are 300 to 700 meters above sea level with a southeasterly or southwesterly exposure. The wine remains for about 5 years on the yeast, which are selected from their own strains. It is a crisp dry wine with hints of apple, almonds and pleasant touch of yeast. The best Chardonnay grapes from the family’s vineyards are used to make this wine. Matteo said that it is the wine that best summarizes the art of Ferrari.

Ferrari Pérle 2013 TrentoDOC made from 100% Chardonnay. The first vintage was 1971. The wine has hints of apple, mango and pineapple with a touch of honey.

The 2013 Vintage: Marco said the ripening of the grapes during August was slow, resulting in a relatively late harvest with slightly higher yields, healthy grapes and excellent quality.

Ferrari Pérle 2007 TrentoDOC The wine has hints of lemon, apple, white melon and sage.

Ferrari Pérle Zero, Cuvée Zero 11 made from 100% Chardonnay from the slopes of the Lunelli families own vineyards of the mountainsides of Trentino. Marcello said it is a mosaic of vintages, and an extreme example of the refined art of creating cuvees. Part of the wine is in stainless steel to highlight the fruit and the aromas; the wood provides structure and richness of flavor, while glass confers concentration and depth. Each cuvee takes its name from the year it was bottled, in this case 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Once it is bottled, it matures for at least 6 years on the yeasts selected from Ferrari’s own cultures. The wine has hints of citrus fruit with notes of sage and good minerality. This is a wine that can be drunk with food.

Giulio Ferrari Riserva Del Fondatore 2007 TrentoDOC is a single vineyard reserve aged wine. The grapes are picked at the end of September in the Maso Pianizza, a vineyard owned by the Lunelli family. The vineyard is in the commune of Trento and is between 500 and 600 meters above sea level with a southwesterly exposure. The wine spends at least 10 years on the lees. This wine is not made in every vintage. The wine has hints apricots, grapefruit with a touch of honey and lightly toasted bread.

The 2007 Vintage: Marco said the weather during August was rather cool and punctuated by several thunderstorms, contributing towards maintaining good acidity levels and an interesting development of aromas in the grapes.

2004 Giulio Ferrari Riserva Del Fondatore TrentoDOC   this wine has a very low dosage, which gives it a complexity of aromas. This is a crisp, fresh, yet elegant wine with hints of apple, citrus fruit, a touch of chamomile, a note of toast and a striking long finish. I was very impressed by the 2004, it is fantastic!

The 2004 Vintage: Marco said it was characterized by a mild winter and a reasonable rainy spring that allowed for an even germination of the grapes and high bud fertility. Later in the year, the summer was characterized by scarce rainfall accompanied by below average temperatures. This made the agronomic management of grapes easier, leading to a harvest of healthy grapes. September was filled with sunny days providing the perfect conditions for harvesting.

1999 Gulio Ferrari Riserva Del Fondatore TrentoDOC This is a wine for those who like more mature sparkling  wines. as I do.  It is a complex wine with a creamy bouquet, hints of white chocolate, candied citrus fruits, almonds and brioche.

The 1999 Vintage: Marco said the dry and windy climate and the marked difference between day and night time temperatures resolved any earlier weather problems regarding the health of the grapes, allowing them to ripen perfectly.

After the tasting I attended the party and enjoyed drinking some of the other sparkling wines produced by Ferrari.

Sparkling Wines from the Mountains

The Istituto Trento DOC sponsored a tasting of old vintage sparkling wines from the Trentodoc region at the Nomad Rooftop.

Some of Italy’s best sparkling wines come from this area as well as some of the country’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.

The Trentodoc wine area in Northern Italy is surrounded by the Dolomite Mountains. The vines there are trained mainly using the Trentino pergola system and are grown at an altitude of 200 to 800 meters. With global warming, this may be the only area where grapes can be planted higher up where the temperature is cooler.

The grapes used to make Trentodoc are Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero and Pinot Meunier. This is the only region where sparkling wines are produced in the mountains.

The grapes are harvested by hand and the base wine is aged slowly in the bottle on the lees for a minimum 15 months for a brut wine, to a minimum of 36 months for a riserva. The producers of all of the wines we tasted aged their wines far longer on the lees than the minimum allowed by law.

Giulio Ferrari was the first to produce high quality Metodo Classico sparkling wine in Trento in the early 20^th Century. Trentodoc was the first official recognized Metodo Classico in Italy and among the first in the world. The Istituto Trento DOC was founded in 1984 and now represents 53 sparkling wine producers, and is the brand’s promoter. The symbol has two ‘0’s that resemble the bottom of a bottle being rotated, a distinction of sparkling Metodo Classico production.

The Wines

Trento DOC Moser 51,151 Brut (Deg 2014) made from 100% Chardonnay. The vineyards are mainly limestone and are between 300 and 600 meters, with a density of 2,500 to 4,000 vines per hectare. The training system is Pergola/Guyot. 80% of the wine is aged in stainless steel and 20% in large oak casks of 25HL for 6 months. The wine spends 30 months on the lees. Residual sugar 4.5 g/l. The name pays tribute to the cycling record Francesco Moser set in Mexico City in 1984.

Trento DOC Cantina D’isera 1907 Brut Riserva 2013 made from 100% Chardonnay grown on the hills of Isera. The soil is made of volcanic, fluvial and glacial deposit. The vineyards are at 500 to 600 meters and the training system is Pergola/Guyot. There are 4,500 to 6,000 vines per hectare. The wine spends all its time in stainless steel and remains on the lees for 60 months while the law requires only 36 months for a Riserva. This is a wine with hints of candied fruit, brioche and delicate mineral notes. Residual sugar 3.8g/l. This is a co-op with 150 members.

Trento DOC Revi Brut Millesimato 2010 (Disgorged in 2014) Made from 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir. The vineyards are at 250 to 350 meters and soil is calcareous clay, medium textured stone. There are 4,500 vines per hectare. Fermentation and aging is in stainless steel and the wine spends 36 months on the lees, Residual sugar 6g/l. This is an elegant wine with nice fruity aromas and flavors and floral notes.

Trento DOC Rotari Flavio Brut Riserve 2010 made from 100% Chardonnay. The vineyards are at 650 meters and the soil is clayey and phorphyric. The training system is pergola. Aging is in stainless steel 60% and barriques 40% for 6 months. The wine spends 96 months on the lees. Only 3,000 bottles are produced. The wine has hints of apricot and peach with notes of brioche, white flowers and a touch of citrus. Residual sugar is 6.7g/l.

TrentoDOC Ferrari Perlé in magnum 2010 made from 100% organic Chardonnay from vineyards at 400 to 700 meters. The soil is loose not too deep made of volcanic and glacial deposits. There are 4,500 to 5,500 plants per hectare. Fermentation and aging is in stainless steel and the wine remains on the lees for 60 months. This is an elegant well-balanced wine with hints of apple, almonds, and a touch of brioche. I was very impressed by this wine. Residual sugar 6g/l.

TrentoDOC Altemas iBrut Riserva Graal 2010 made from 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir from vineyards at 500 to 600 meters. Volcanic and glacial soils, the training system is pergola/guyot and there are 4,500 to 5,000 vines per hectare. The wine spends 70 months on the lees. Aging is in stainless steel and barriques for about 6 months. This is a well-balanced wine with hints of apple, citrus and candied fruits with a note of brioche and good minerality.

TrentoDOC Endrizzi Masetto Prive 2009 Riserva Dosage Zero made from 100% Chardonnay from vineyards at 300 to 400 meters and the soil is dolomic, calcareous. The training system is espalier/guyot and there are 5,800 plants per hectare. The wine is aged in stainless steel and barriques with 9 months in French oak. The wine remains on the lees for 84 months. Only 1,500 bottles are produced. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, pastry and toasted bread with a mineral touch. Residual sugar is 6g/l.

TrentoDOC Madame Matris Brut Riserva 2009 Maso Martis made from 70% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir from vineyards at 450 meters. The soil is calcareous, rich in texture on red Trentino rock. The training system is Pergola and there are 3,500 vines per hectare. The Chardonnay is aged for 8 months in barriques and Pinot Noir and Pinot Menuier is stainless steel. The wine has hints of brioche, citrus fruit and white flowers with nice minerality. Only 2,680 bottles are produced. Residual sugar is 7.5.

TrentoDOC Monfort Brut Riserva 2008 Made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir from vineyards at 400 to 700 Meters. The soil is glacial deposit soil, with a marly calcareous mineral content. The training system is espalier/guyot and there are 6,000 vines per hectare. Malolactic fermentation does not take place. The wine is aged 50% in steel and 50% in barriques. 50% of the Chardonnay spends 6 months in French oak. The wine has hints of bread crust and vanilla with citrus notes. Residual sugar is 8g/l.

TrentoDOC 976 Brut Riserva Del Fondatore 2008 Letrari made from 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay from vineyards at 450 meters. The soil is calcareous. There are 4,000 vines per hectare and the training system is pergola/guyot. 95% of the wines is aged in stainless steel and 5% in oak casks from 4 months. The wine spends 120 months on the lees. Only 3,000 bottles are produced. The wine has hints of brioche, vanilla, apple and hazelnut with a touch of spice. Residual sugar 6.4g/l

TrendoDOC Cesarini Sforza Aquila Reale Brut Riserva 2004 Discorged in 2012. Made from 100% Chardonnay from vineyards at 500 meters. The soil is full of debris, slightly calcareous, not very deep, loamy and well drained. The training system is simple pergola and there are 4,500 plants per hectare. The wine spends 60 months on the lees and 50% is aged in French oak barriques for 6 months. This is an elegant wine rich and complex with hints of candied fruit, brioche, nice minerality and a touch of sage. It was drinking very well for a wine of this age. Residual sugar 5.5g/l.

 

Magical Moscato D’Asti

A master class on Moscato D’Asti , organized by the Consorzio Dell’Asti DOCG, was held recently at Del Posto restaurant in New York City. This wine, from Italy’s Piedmont region, has always seemed to me the perfect dessert wine because it is low in alcohol, slightly sweet, and a little fizzy. It deserves to be better known.

The speakers were: Luigi Coppo – Coppo Winery, Marco Dogliotti – Azienda Agricola Caudrina Winery, Gianpiero Scavino – Ceretto Winery, Stefano Chiarlo- Michele Chiarlo Winery and Andrea Costa- Marenco Winery

Each speaker brought one Moscato d’Asti for the tasting.

All of the vineyards for the Moscato grape in the Langhe, Piedmont have a southern exposure or mostly southern exposure. The training system is mainly guyot to give more sun exposure to the vines. Harvest is by hand because the vineyards are on steep hills. The harvest takes place in late August and is finished by September first. The maximum C02 pressure of the wine is 2.5 bars. Alcohol can be between 4.5% to 6.5% but most are 5% to 5.5%.

The production zone and the five wineries

Moscato d’Asti is not a sparkling wine because it only undergoes partial fermentation in pressure tanks until the desired alcohol level is reached. The use of cold chain technology in the production process means that the aromas and flavors of the grape are preserved and the wine can be stabilized and be ready for storage and transportation.

Moscato D’Asti is a very pleasant easy drinking wine that can be drunk on its own as an aperitif before dinner or after dinner as a light dessert wine. Moscato D’Asti is very easy to like and when the tasting was over one of the guests said ‘all the wines were good” and they were right.

The Wines

Moscato d’Asti DOC G 2018 “Moncalvina” Coppo made from 100% Moscato di Canelli. The vineyards are located in Canelli. A soft pressing is followed by a slow fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature until the alcohol level reaches 5%. During this process, part of the carbon dioxide produced by the fermentation is captured by the wine giving it a natural light fizziness. Residual sugar: 129.67g/l and the alcohol is 4.89. This is a fresh and aromatic wine with hints of peach and pear and a floral note. Luigi Coppo, the speaker, said that 2018 was a classic, traditional vintage for Moscato.

La Caudrina Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2018 Azienda Agricola Caudrina made from 100% Moscato Bianco. The vineyards are in Castiglione Tinella. Marco said that the Moscato grape is aromatic and requires a specific technique to preserve all of its fragrance in the wine. Immediately after the harvest the grapes are softly pressed, clarifying and filtering the must. The grape juice is preserved in refrigerated tanks at -2C until it is time for temperature-controlled fermentation, which takes place in an autoclave with selected yeasts. This is a wine with hints of apricot, peach and a note of white flowers. Residual sugar 130g/l and the alcohol is 5.5%. Marco said they have 25 hectares of Moscato grapes.

Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2018 “Nivole” Michele Chiarlo made from 100% Moscato Bianco. There is a soft pressing of the grapes. The must is stored in a tank at -2C followed by slow fermentation in an autoclave at a controlled temperature until 5% alcohol is reached. A part of the carbon dioxide produced by the fermentation remains “entrapped” giving the wine its mild, natural effervescence. Before bottling, the wine undergoes micro filtration to give it clarity, purity and stop any further fermentation of the yeasts. This is a fragrant wine with hints of peach, apricot and floral notes. Residual sugar 122g/l and the alcohol is 5%. This has always been one of my favorites.

Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2018 “I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano” Ceretto made from 100% Moscato d’Asti from vineyards in Santo Stefano Belbo, Calosso. There is a soft pressing of the grapes with separation of the must. Following decantation it is kept cold to stabilize the fragrances. Fermentation begins in temperature controlled, presurized stainless steel tanks until the alcohol level reaches 5.5%. This is the stage in which the perlage (fizz), typical of Moscato, is produced. After filtration the wine is bottled. This is a wine with hints of melon, orange, jasmine and a touch of honey. Residual sugar is130g/l.

Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2018 “Scrapona” Marenco made from 100% Moscato Bianco. The vineyard is located in the Bagnario Valley, Strevi. Scrapona is a single vineyard (cru) Moscato. Harvest takes place the beginning of September. The grapes are softly pressed and naturally clarified. Fermentation is in pressurized vats and is interrupted through filtration when the alcohol reaches 5.5% and a delicate perlage is reached. This is a wine with hints of apricot, lime and sage. Residual sugar is 120g/l. Andrea Costa, the speaker, said 70% of their production is Moscato d’Asti.

Making Mozzarella and Burrata at Keste

I often go to Keste Pizza & Vino Wall Street and always enjoy the pizza and other foods made by the owner/pizzaiolo Roberto Caporusico. I look forward to speaking to Roberto about pizza, Naples and food in general. Roberto has mentioned a few times that he now makes his own mozzarella and burrata. The last time I was there I had the chance to try his burrata filled with small mozzarella balls. It was creamy and really different from any burrata I had had before. Roberto said he was doing a mozzarella and burrata making demonstration and invited me to come.

Roberto

Roberto began by speaking about his background. He said that before he became a pizzaiolo he worked as a cheese maker, making mozzarella, a semi-soft Italian cheese made from the milk of cows or water buffalo. Burrata is made the same way as mozzarella but it is formed into a pouch and then filled with cheese curds and cream. For both the mozzarella and the burrata Roberto uses cows’ milk. When the pouch for the burrata is formed he fills it with small mozzarella balls soaked in heavy cream for 5 days.

Before Roberto  began the demonstration he said  the water he was using was very hot and he put on two pair of black gloves to protect his hands.

 

These are the curds that are waiting to be mixed with hot water.

The mozzarella balls soaking in heavy cream for the burrata filling.

Roberto making the mozzarella. He is mixing the cheese curds with hot water.

 

Checking the consistency

Mozzarella is one of a category of stringy cheeses in Italy

The  cheese  is  smooth  and  stretchy

Shaping the mozzarella

The  Mozzarella

Rolling out the mozzarella to make a roulade

The stretched mozzarella is stuffed with puree of artichokes and tomatoes

Then it is rolled up like a jelly roll

It needs to be refrigerated so it firms up

 

Making another roulade layered with culatello, a type of prosciutto made from the tenderest and most flavorful part of the pig, and greens.

Culatello

Rolling the cheese and fillings

Slicing the roll into pinwheel slices.

Roberto said the mozzarella rolls should be placed in the refrigerator overnight so they become firm before they are ready to be served. These were in the refrigerator for only about 30 minutes and while the one made with the culatello was fine, the one with the artichoke mix and the tomato needed more time in the in the refrigerator because it was difficult to cut and came apart.

The one with the culatello came out perfect and delicious

 

The burrata stuffed with small mozzarella balls soaked in cream

Pizza with burrata and tomatoes made by Giorgia, a master pizzaiolo, and Roberto’s daughter.

With the mozzarella we drank still and sparkling Asprinio  from  Fabulae, Campania Felix Wine

“Jescesoul” Terre del Volturno IGT made from 100% Asprinio. The grapes are grown in sandy soil with good superficial permeability of volcanic origin near the city of Caserta. The training system is Svlvous and Alberate Aversane. The vines are 12 meters tall among poplar trees. Harvest is by hand the last week in September and the first week in October. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature for 3 months. The wine remains in the bottle for two months before release. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, a touch of lemon, nice minerality and good acidity.

Asprinio Spumante ‘Aspritz” VSQ made from 100% Asprinio. The grapes are destemmed and a soft pressing takes place. Fermentation is for one month in stainless steel tanks to prepare for the classic method which takes place in the bottle. The wine is then manually capped and rests for 9 months before release. The Spumante was straw yellow in color because the juice was left on the lees and is full bodied. It has hints of citrus fruit, a touch of lemon, with good minerality, acidity and a note of brioche. Both wines were a great combination with the mozzarella but the Spumante was the perfect combination.

 

Wines of Elk Cove, Ponzi and Sokol Blosser

Three Oregon wineries presented a tasting of their wines last month at the Astor Center in NYC. It was one of the most unusual and interesting tastings I have ever attended. It showed how Pinot Noir  grapes taken from the same vineyard could be made into different tasting wines in the hands of three different wine makers.  In all, there were 9 wines divided into 3 flights and each of the winemakers produced 1 wine from 3 different vineyards.

After this part of the tasting, each winemaker presented 2 of their wines.  They were: Elk Cove Vineyards, Adam Campbell winemaker; Ponzi, Luisa Ponzi winemaker; and Sokol Blosser, Alex Sokol Blosser winemaker and Co- President. They have come together and call themselves “Oregon Originals” because all of their wineries were founded in the early 1970’s in the Willamette Valley and “Second Generation Vintners” because they and their siblings have taken over the running of the wineries from their parents.

The Wines

Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Gris 2017 Adam called it a classic Oregon vintage. Made from 100% pinot Gris hand harvested from select hillside vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley. The age of the vines is 4 to 32 years. Harvest was from mid-September to mid-October. Harvest sugars were 22.5 brix. They whole cluster press the grapes then the juice is fermented at a very cold temperature in small stainless steel tanks. The wine was bottled in Feb. 2018. This is a light to medium bodied wine with hints of pears, peaches, and apricots with refreshing acidity.

Sokel Blosser Dundee Hills Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir 2018 (777,115 & Pommard clones) Alex said the 2018 vintage was their coolest growing season since 2012 and he believes it will be their best vintage since then as well. The grapes were carefully hand harvested (brix at harvest 19.5), de-stemmed and loaded into the press where the juice soaked on the skins for four to six hours. It was then gently pressed to minimize extraction of tannins from the skins. The juice was divided into multiple stainless steel tanks, one portion was inoculated with natural yeast, and the other with a yeast focused on lifting the fruit aromas within the grape. An extended, slow, cool fermentation took place. There is just a hint of residual sugar (1.5g/l) to balance the firm acidity. This is a crisp refreshing rose’ with hints of melon, white peach and a touch of raspberry.

Ponzi Aurora Chardonnay 2016 Luisa compared this vintage to the 2006, which produced lush, beautiful wines with unexpected elegance and acidity, a stellar vintage for Oregon. The grapes for this single vineyard cuvee were grown on Layrewood soil at Ponzi “LIVE” Certified Sustainable Aurora Vineyard located in on the Chehalem Mountain AVA. The grapes were sorted and whole cluster pressed. The juice settled for 12 hours before going to barrel for fermentation. Using 15% new French oak and cool temperatures, fermentation was completed with primary wild yeast. Malolactic fermentation is 100% complete using native bacteria. Lees are stirred weekly for 6 moths before a fall racking to neutral oak and bottled in the spring of 2016. The wine is aged in barrel for 20 months and in bottle for 6 months before release. The wine has hints of lime, lemon and touch of chamomile with a touch of vanilla.

Elk Clove Vineyards 2016 Mount Richardmond Pinot Noir Adam said he hoped the 2016 vintage will be outstanding, like the 2012 and 2014, wines that showed great balance and concentration. The Richmond vineyard sits on Willakenzie soils in the heart of the Yamahill AVA and is 150 acres. The elevation is at 300/500 feet, which allows for early ripening, there are 2,100 vines/acre. The blend includes old vine pommard, and equal parts of Dijon clones 115 and 777. The age of the vines 5 to 23 years and the brix at harvest 23.5. Fermentation is in small temperature controlled steel tanks, hand punched down twice daily and aged in 50% new French barrels for 10 months. The wine was bottled in August 2017. The wine has hints of black cherry, blueberries, boysenberry and a touch of spice.

Pinot Noir Abetina 2016 Ponzi Luisa said this was a stellar vintage for Pinot Noir in Oregon. This single vineyard cuvee is made exclusively from the Abetina 2 block at the “LIVE” certified Sustainable Vineyard. All the fruit was hand sorted and destemmed. Fermentation in small lots with five days of cold soak to increase aromas and color, the peak temperature reached 90 degrees. The fermenters were aerated or manually punched down twice a day for 12-20 days before undergoing a 7 day post fermentation maceration to increase structure and length. The wine is aged in French oak barrels 50% new for 20 months. The wine was racked and bottled by gravity without filtration or fining and was aged in bottle for 5 months before release. The wine has hints of blackberry, cassis and plum with a touch of chocolate and note of hazelnut.

Dundee Hills, Oregon Estate Pinot Noir 2016 Alex called it a quality vintage. Grapes hand harvested at 22/26 Brix. Some sections harvested based on acid levels and some on higher intensity of fruit flavors. Grapes were hand sorted and destemmed directly into 3-ton stainless steel fermenters or 2.5 ton oak upright fermenters, 35% of the fermentation for this part was done using the Sokol Blosser native yeast program. Gentle punching down 2 times a day. Post fermentation, 25% of the blend was kept on its skins for 30+ days, the remaining portion was pressed off the skins at dryness (10-15 days of skin contact time). The wine was aged in French oak barrels for 17 months (36% in new oak and the rest once used or neutral oak) with minimum SO2 levels. The wine has hints of cherry, raspberry with a touch of spice and soft tannins.

I am now convinced that these three wineries make outstanding Pinot Noir