2007 Cargasacchi Vineyard Pinot Noir

The Cargasacchi Vineyard is a small 16-acre vineyard that has become one of the stars of the Santa Rita Hills appellation. Planted in 1998, the property features Clone 115 Pinot Noir planted on 3309 rootstock. The vineyard is located at the extreme west end of Santa Rita Hills, where its proximity to the Pacific Ocean makes it one of the coolest vineyards in California. The soil type is the Botella Series, a composition of both clay and loam that has a fairly high calcareous content, which drains well and helps moderate yields.

The 2007 growing season began with a dry winter—rainfall totals were among the lowest in more than 50 years. Very cold temperatures in January combined with a cool spring caused delays in vine development, pushing the growing cycle 2 to 3 weeks behind average. Clusters were small and loose with very small berries. This allowed more sunlight penetration for superb development of color, flavor and aromatics. Small berries and fewer clusters also translated into lower yields per acre. Crop size was down about 30%. Pinot Noir from the Cargasacchi Vineyard was harvested on October 10.

Pinot Noir clusters from the Cargasacchi Vineyard were hand sorted before being de-stemmed and immediately chilled for a pre-fermentation cold soak where the most beneficial extraction of color, aroma and flavor occurs. During fermentation, concentration was enhanced by gently punching down the cap. As soon as the wine reached dryness, it was pressed and transferred to 60-gallon French oak barrels where it aged for 17 months. About 37% of the barrels were new French oak.

140 cases made