2018 Jenkins Vineyard Pinot Noir

High up on a hill overlooking Sebastopol, Jenkins Vineyard benefits from the cooling effect of the nearby Pacific Ocean. At the same time, it is high enough in altitude to sit above some of the fog that rolls in around mid-afternoon each day. Planted amid Gravenstein apple trees, Jenkin’s features Pinot Noir clones 116, 777 and 667.

After a long 2018 growing season, in the run-up to harvest we had a perfectly timed heat spike, followed by an equally fortuitous cooldown that allowed the grapes to ripen to perfect maturity, while retaining excellent acidity. Our prized grapes from Jenkins Vineyard were harvested by hand at 4 a.m. on September 6th, and cold soaked for five days, with one pump-over a day. Once fermentation began, we switched to two punch-downs daily. The wine was aged for 11 months in 100% French oak barrels, 35% of which were new.

"This exceptional, distinctive wine is laser focused on ripe cherry flavors—black and red— that connect from the first sniff through the lingering finish. All that fruit is nicely supported by moderate tannins and tangy acidity that keep it fresh and appetizing." —James Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, 95 points.