Production Notes
Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir; Cooperage: 97% New, 3% Second Vintage French oak; Medium toast: Allier, Vosges and Tronçais Forests
Winemaker Notes
Gowan Creek is the home to our winery and offers a perfect mid-valley winegrowing location that combines warmer Anderson Valley elements with coastal fog and cooling influences from the northern end of the valley. As a result, this wine displays lush extraction and a rich palate with voluptuous red and black fruit layers of raspberry, mulberry, blueberry and huckleberry. This juicy core of berry fruit is supported by excellent tannins and undercurrents of mushroom, herbs, charcuterie, violets and oak.
Production
In 2007, a dry winter led to even growth and manageable canopies. The summer was cool, and lacked any major heat spells until just before Labor Day when we began the first of four “mini-harvests.” These mini-harvests allowed us to pick at ideal ripeness over a seven-week period. Although the crop was lighter than expected, the quality was excellent. While each mini-harvest offered fruit with its own personality, there is a lovely consistency to the dark, well-extracted and structured nature of the wines.