2022 Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir

Dark ruby color with aromas of quince, strawberry, cranberries, rhubarb and dark plum. Medium body with a soft entry and subtle tannins. Bright, fresh natural acidity and gentle toasted oak create a pleasant and juicy finish. TG (6/23)

Wind off the Pacific funnels directly through this growing region bringing cool air and summer fogs that help the vines retain natural acidity and intense fruit flavor. Whole berry fermentation enhanced freshness and varietal character, while punching down has extracted the tannins more gently. Eleven months of barrel age brought complexity and balance. This lovely wine will be most enjoyable over the next five years. TG (7/23)

For our first exploration of the Petaluma Gap AVA we looked to the Nightwing Vineyard; which was developed in 2017 and planted the following year as a mosaic of 35 blocks featuring 44 acres of pinot noir and 30 acres of chardonnay. The vines we harvested average 6-7 years old, and the grapes benefit from Western exposure, drinking in the sun and cooling breeze of the Pacific Ocean. The vineyard is CSWA Certified – Certified California Sustainable and farmed using some of our favorite regenerative techniques, like alternate row cover crops and tilling between vines.

Rainfall: 23 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Mid May
Weather: 2022 was the third year of drought. Thankfully, we received spring rains that helped the vines. Two heat spells pushed the vines to another early harvest.

Harvest Date: 25 August
Grapes: Average Brix 26.1˚
TA: 4.70 g/L
pH: 3.67
Fermentation: 100% De-stemmed & crushed fermentation, 100% natural barrel malolactic.
Barrels: 33% air-dried American oak and 67% French oak barrels (33% new, 33% one year old, and 34% two years old).
Aging: Eleven months in barrel

Hand-harvested grapes fermented on the indigenous yeast, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring malolactic bacteria; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 44 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.