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Rio Este Estate
Tasting Notes
Presenting an elegant nose of black cherry and cassis, the bouquet of this estate vineyard wine opens to hints of black tea and sandalwood. This Pinot Noir showcases a light structure with delicate floral notes and a soft mouthfeel. The finish is ethereal with bright acidity. Serve with a slight chill.
Vintage Notes
The 2021 growing season saw near-perfect growing conditions. With minimal winter rain, the vines were awakened with ideal moderate springtime temperatures, eliminating any frost threat to the developing buds. At most sites, fruit set was during the optimal timeframe due to warm, consistent conditions. Veraison occurred 7-10 days earlier than in previous years due to the temperate weather and minimal rain. Moderate daytime temperatures and cool nights throughout the summer months, with a few of the regular short-lived heat spikes, allowing for excellent flavor development. The year saw an early harvest, with 90% of the region’s grapes being picked before the late Fall.
Vineyard Notes
Sourced from our estate vineyard Rio Este, our 26 acres of Pinot Noir sit directly adjacent to the flowing Russian River. Planted to a variety of clones, this vintage of Rio Este Pinot Noir is made from Blocks 2 & 4. This includes clones Wädenswil, a distinctly fruitier Swiss clone of Pinot Noir that lends texture to the wine, and French clone 828 which is naturally darker and denser than traditional Pinot Noir while still offering the bright fruit and acidity attributes well known for the varietal.
Winemaker Notes
Picked in early September, the grapes for this artisan Pinot Noir were hand-sorted and de-stemmed, and put whole-berry into open-top fermenters. The grapes were kept at low temperatures during their 5-day cold soak, at which point they were inoculated with a yeast strain well known to produce great Burgundian wines. During the 14-day fermentation, only gentle punch-downs were performed to keep juice and skins in contact with each other, and once finished, the tank was drained, and only the free-run wine was racked into French oak barrels. Here it underwent natural malo-lactic fermentation and then stayed in a vessel for the remainder of its elevage. Before bottling, lots were blended together to create a harmonious wine.
