Sebastiani Pinot Noir Sonoma

Description

Vineyards Although the Sonoma Coast appellation covers a lot of terrain, all of its sites share a cooler, foggier climate that is perfectly suited to Pinot Noir, thanks to its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. By blending multiple vineyards and clones, we produced a Pinot that is both complex and drinkable. The fruit for our 2014 Sonoma Coast Pinot came mostly from our own estate vineyards from Carneros, with a lesser extent Russian River Valley.Vintage 2014 was a fantastic vintage producing riper, high quality fruit. The vintage started out with a dry winter and spring, which caused early bud break. Set was completed by mid-May and therefore earlier ripening. Summer, however, was moderate with some fog, leading to normal berry size. August was still foggy, but September was warm, and thus presented riper Pinot grapes. Harvest began in early September and finished by October 8th, 2014.Winemaking All lots were gently de-stemmed to preserve the whole berries. We cold soaked for an average of three days before inoculation. During fermentation the wine was pumped over its skins two to three times a day to enhance color and flavor extraction. Press fractions were kept and fined separately to remove harsh tannins. Lots with excessive, green tannins were fined with egg whites. Each lot was then transferred into new and used French and Hungarian oak barrels. It was bottled mid-June 2015 after 6 months in barrels.Winemakers Notes Our 2014 is medium to dark garnet in color. It is has fruit forward aromas of dark cherry and plum sauce, with forest floor and oriental spice. The palate is medium to full bodied, with juicy, cherry fruit. It finishes with soft tannins and lingering flavors of plum sauce and earthiness. It is more fruit forward, with darker cherry flavors than in the past, owing to a warmer vintage. Although drinking well now, it will improve with another year in the bottle. It is ideally paired with salmon, ham and pastas with wild mushrooms. Finally, please serve in larger, bowl shaped wine glasses to enhance its aromas! -Mark R. Lyon, Winemaker